Pause...look back...look forward...rejoice!
If nothing else, being sick has given me the chance to take a time-out to stop and reflect on my life and how I'm spending it. Since it will come to an end eventually (though not an ultimate end), I need to regularly pause and reflect on what I am choosing to do with the time that God has given me. As the preacher says, "Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men; and the living will take it to heart." Ecclesiastes 7:2
Now, being sick, it's easy to be discouraged by the inability to run about and work -- but righteousness is not gained by works (Romans 4) and God gives us periods of rest very deliberately (nighttime each day, Sabbath day each week, etc). So, instead, it seemed to make sense to embrace some time of inactivity.
Spheres
1. Have I been faithful in my walk with God? Have I been sanctifying (setting aside) time to spend with God alone in Bible reading, prayer, meditation, Scripture memorization, etc? Is my love for God growing? Am I coming to know Him better? Do I praise Him? confess my sins to Him? ask of Him? thank Him?
2. Have I been faithful in my house? Have I been loving my family, caring for my roommates, keeping up on my chores, timely in paying my bills, maintaining my wardrobe, attending to my health, making my home a pleasant place, extending hospitality to others, keeping up on correspondence through mail and email?
3. Have I been faithful in my church? Have I been regularly attending worship, praying, serving from time to time, participating in my small group, reading wholesome books, supporting the ministry financially, encouraging my brothers and sisters to memorize Scripture and study the Old Testament, learning how to disciple/teach, welcoming new members, helping to bear their burdens and rejoicing with them in their joy?
4. Have I been faithful in my work and the outside world? Have I been working hard, producing high quality work, caring for my coworkers, speaking truly of the Lord, respecting authority, honoring all people, extending kindness to strangers, pointing them to the Christ?
Goals
Short and long term: be faithful with what I have been given (Luke 16:10) :)
Short term: Memorize Nahum, regularly review Jonah and Habakkuk
Next steps: Memorize Zephaniah (study other contemporary OT Scripture)
Next steps: Memorize earlier Minor Prophets (study other contemporary OT Scripture)
Next steps: Memorize later Minor Prophets (study other contemporary OT Scripture)
Ultimate goal: Memorize all the Minor Prophets
Short term: Missions Group
Short term: Text-to-Talk
Next steps: Discipling class
Ultimate goal: Mature as a Christian until "the day of the LORD"
Later goal: Learn Hebrew
Later goal: Learn Akkadian
Whew, so many things to do. But God doesn't need my efforts. No, that's not how it works. Instead, God calls people into His kingdom to pour out the knowledge of His glorious grace!
"Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4
"...Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD;
And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth,
And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.
The mouth of the LORD has spoken." Isaiah 58:14
By the Word of life, we're alive and we're full
It's renewing our minds and reviving our soul!
So come daily to the Giver of this life
And drink deeply from His river of delights!
When making mistakes, so faint in our strength,
From His fullness, receive grace upon grace!
From lifeless idols, let's turn to Christ
Who is Himself the eternal life!
In Yourself, You have all power and might!
In Yourself, You are the fountain of life!
So savor the Savior - just to know Him is the life we were made for! -Album: Attributes of God, song: Self-Sufficiency
Now, being sick, it's easy to be discouraged by the inability to run about and work -- but righteousness is not gained by works (Romans 4) and God gives us periods of rest very deliberately (nighttime each day, Sabbath day each week, etc). So, instead, it seemed to make sense to embrace some time of inactivity.
Spheres
1. Have I been faithful in my walk with God? Have I been sanctifying (setting aside) time to spend with God alone in Bible reading, prayer, meditation, Scripture memorization, etc? Is my love for God growing? Am I coming to know Him better? Do I praise Him? confess my sins to Him? ask of Him? thank Him?
2. Have I been faithful in my house? Have I been loving my family, caring for my roommates, keeping up on my chores, timely in paying my bills, maintaining my wardrobe, attending to my health, making my home a pleasant place, extending hospitality to others, keeping up on correspondence through mail and email?
3. Have I been faithful in my church? Have I been regularly attending worship, praying, serving from time to time, participating in my small group, reading wholesome books, supporting the ministry financially, encouraging my brothers and sisters to memorize Scripture and study the Old Testament, learning how to disciple/teach, welcoming new members, helping to bear their burdens and rejoicing with them in their joy?
4. Have I been faithful in my work and the outside world? Have I been working hard, producing high quality work, caring for my coworkers, speaking truly of the Lord, respecting authority, honoring all people, extending kindness to strangers, pointing them to the Christ?
Goals
Short and long term: be faithful with what I have been given (Luke 16:10) :)
Short term: Memorize Nahum, regularly review Jonah and Habakkuk
Next steps: Memorize Zephaniah (study other contemporary OT Scripture)
Next steps: Memorize earlier Minor Prophets (study other contemporary OT Scripture)
Next steps: Memorize later Minor Prophets (study other contemporary OT Scripture)
Ultimate goal: Memorize all the Minor Prophets
Short term: Missions Group
Short term: Text-to-Talk
Next steps: Discipling class
Ultimate goal: Mature as a Christian until "the day of the LORD"
Later goal: Learn Hebrew
Later goal: Learn Akkadian
Whew, so many things to do. But God doesn't need my efforts. No, that's not how it works. Instead, God calls people into His kingdom to pour out the knowledge of His glorious grace!
"Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4
"...Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD;
And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth,
And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.
The mouth of the LORD has spoken." Isaiah 58:14
By the Word of life, we're alive and we're full
It's renewing our minds and reviving our soul!
So come daily to the Giver of this life
And drink deeply from His river of delights!
When making mistakes, so faint in our strength,
From His fullness, receive grace upon grace!
From lifeless idols, let's turn to Christ
Who is Himself the eternal life!
In Yourself, You have all power and might!
In Yourself, You are the fountain of life!
So savor the Savior - just to know Him is the life we were made for! -Album: Attributes of God, song: Self-Sufficiency