6/24/13 2:39 a.m.
Be visual. See the world around you. My hurting world in need of care and understanding. See the joy of those helped by My love, by My tender children. Know the joy of helping others to see My love and understanding of their world. Feel the peace surrounding you as you see this picture of love and friendship. Know the effort is always worth it. Run the race for the ultimate prize. Eternal joy in My kingdom in a place I prepare for you. Feel My presence now as you ponder these things. You are blessed My child and you are loved dearly.
We live in a complicated and hurting world. And while not everyone is hurting all the time, we all hurt some of the time… and all the time ‘someone’ is hurting. I’ve been contemplating this a lot lately, especially with the challenges 2020 has brought upon us. At any given point in time, some level of pain and suffering are all around us. Someone is hurting.
Perhaps it’s the neighbor next door, a colleague at work, a family member, or close friend. Perhaps it’s you. For some, the hurt is deep and complex. The ability to make it through a single day is challenging… let alone the next week or month. I’ve been that someone a time or two.
I wonder what it would look like for each of us to truly ‘see’ the world around us. To pay close attention. To take the time to notice the often unnoticeable. Unnoticeable, perhaps, because we are moving too fast to notice. To ‘see’ the world around us takes both time and intentionality. Self-sacrifice really. It means the possibility of delaying where we are going… to ‘be’ where we are needed. Giving up something self-beneficial to be others beneficial… to be available.
We not only live in a hurting world, but a relational one. One where we need each other to navigate tough times and unexpected emotions. One where two are better than one, and three is even stronger. A world where encouragement and support go further than we realize. Where a kind word or smile make an incredible difference.
But first we need to recognize the hurt. We need to focus our attention to see it is there. For many of us, that is the challenge. We are so involved in our own business that we miss the signs of a friend or neighbor who needs us. We neglect to see the loneliness or cry for help because we have become distracted with our own ‘things’… often things of lower relative importance.
During an extraordinary time of world-wide illness (a pandemic), ever more visible racial tensions through heightened awareness, anger backed reactionary riots, political fallibility, catastrophic hurricanes, unrelenting wild fires, and the everyday challenges of life that have not yielded, we have a world that is living on the edge of disaster… yet many do not see that people are, indeed, hurting.
Individuals have lost employment and are unable to meet their own needs. Families have lost loved ones. Others have been displaced from their homes. African Americans cry for justice and dignity. Those who are isolated are drowning in loneliness. Do we see them? Do we see the world around us? And if we do, do we care to venture there? Do we realize we can make a difference?
Where do we focus our time at a time such as this? Are we self-focused or others focused? Are we doing all we can to ensure we are not one of the victims, or are we seeking victims to comfort? Are we enjoying our dinner knowing some are hungry? Are we warm in our homes knowing others are at risk of losing theirs? Are we mindful of… or indifferent to the needs of others?
I am currently participating in a Discipleship study called Groundworks prepared and administered by The Summit Church. Some text quoted in this study from a book written by David Mathis stood out rather starkly:
The Secret of Joy: Self Forgetfulness
In Groundworks, the focus of self-forgetfulness is on the context of worshiping Jesus. We become so preoccupied with Jesus (as opposed to ourselves) and His manifold perfections that we enter a state of joy only Jesus can bring. I would like to expand on this concept.
We were not created for ourselves. Not only were we created by and for God, but we were also created for the things of God. Just like a famous artist is ‘praised’ for her colorful works of art and an architect is ‘admired’ for his unique designs, we were created by God for good works for His ‘glory’. Self-forgetfulness is simply recognizing we are not our own. We were created by God for good works that ‘glorify’ our Creator. Therefore, it stands to reason that we were not created to glorify ourselves.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10 NIV)
Jesus Himself exemplified the very life we are meant to live. During His time on earth, Jesus served His Father by serving others. He taught truth, healed the sick, fed the hungry, advocated for the oppressed, and showed mercy toward the sinner. He delayed where He was going so He could be where He was needed. Jesus’ focus was to serve and, in the end, He gave His very life for others.
It’s important to note that Jesus did not serve based on race, religion, political affiliation, or economic status. Nor did He serve only those who agreed with His opinions. Jesus served indiscriminatingly – He loved and served all, including those who persecuted Him.
… whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42:45 NIV)
Yes, we were made to glorify God in the things that we do and the way that we live, and those ways inevitably involve others. Self-forgetfulness means we consider others more than ourselves, and we consider the care of God’s people as important as our own. It means seeing and serving the world around us. A world that so desperately needs to be seen.
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matthew 22:36-40 NIV)
No doubt, we can be successful ‘in this world’ (i.e. in the short term) by focusing only on ourselves and the people we love. In fact, this is a common path many people follow: Look out for #1 because no one else will… Pursue the American dream… Network for self-gain… Climb the corporate ladder… Pursue wealth and power and win the race of life… even if at the expense of others…
And while this way of life may have moments of happiness, it’s unlikely, based on what we were ‘created’ for, that it will reap the fruit of true joy.
I once read an analogy that really stuck with me. The writer described a runner who was dedicated, competitive, and well prepared for a race. The runner trained with others who shared the same focus and, together, they entered the competition. Part way into the race, the group perceived they were running very well and were ‘proud’ to be ahead of the other runners. The prize was in sight.
At the finish line, the group couldn’t understand why no one had gathered to cheer them in. In fact, after several minutes of waiting, the remaining runners were nowhere to be seen. Something was wrong. The group soon learned they had run the wrong course and, although they had indeed run swiftly, they failed to complete the race they were meant to be running. And the race they were meant to be running was over. It was too late to go back.
I fear this will be the case for many. We run so fast and we run so hard. We are dedicated and competitive. But we fail to see we are on the wrong course. The thing is the wrong course is incredibly deceiving such that it often appears to be the right one. It is so deceiving that there are countless people running it, and many are trying to persuade others to join them. But a time will come when time has elapsed, and we will all clearly see the course we were meant to be running… and it will be too late to start over.
Friend, the race of life is not about us. No matter how dedicated and competitive we are in our jobs, our possessions, our beauty, or our experiences… and no matter how well we perceive our progress, if we are on the wrong course, focused only on our own desires, we will eventually be met with loss and regret. Glorifying God in the way that we love, serve, and consider others is paramount to our success in the true race of life. It is evidence of diligent training in the race we are meant to be running.
So where do we focus our time at a time such as this? I want to challenge us to ‘be visual’ – to attempt to truly ‘see’ the world around us. To expand our own world beyond ourselves and see how we can love and serve others… to be and do the things we were created for… for our joy and for our Creator’s praise and glory.
I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on your laws. I hold fast to your statutes, Lord; do not let me be put to shame. I run in the path of your commands, for you have broadened my understanding. Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees, that I may follow it to the end. (Psalm 119:30-33 NIV)
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (James 2:14-17 ESV)