Serving One Master

Yesterday's Gospel Lesson (Luke 16:13) taught us: You can't serve two masters. Your heart can't be two places at one time without being stretched or torn.

The lesson moved me to wonder (as I often do) how (and why) we set ourselves up to think that we will thrive by living a divided life. The world typically promotes and affirms a scattered lifestyle (called multi-tasking)....and then invites us to find some way (which often costs major bucks) to either numb-out or recuperate from the after effects.

We divide our attention into microbits. It seems that the accepted pace of thought and deed is fast and varied. How often do we resign ourselves to that pace when we describe our life as: "Busy"..."Crazy"..."Hectic" (or in the worst case) "Frenzied"... Granted, sometimes life is simply that way... but all too often we choose for it to be that way.

Consider the contrast of the following words:

contentment

fullness

wholeness

ease

contemplation

The words roll through the mind and heart and then fall from the tongue with a softness that soothes stretched and torn lives.

I am an advocate for phrases like: one step at a time, do one thing, set your mind and heart on what is true. One focus... One authoritative and guiding principal. The writer of proverbs calls it "fear of the Lord.".... Jesus colored it differently... not fear...but total love... unwavering focus of mind and heart (and therefore life).

Life may still require high levels of productivity... rapid and energetic responses to needs of all sorts... but maintaining singleness of mind (rather than division of attention) protects us from being scattered and blown about. That's what it means to be rooted...centered.

When I set my set mind upon God's Word...the Word of Life... I am constantly surprised at how complete (and balanced) life seems. All of the random and intruding thoughts and feelings bow down before God's peace and wisdom.

If I can only be one place at a time...and can only REALLY do one thing at a time, then I pray that it will be where God has led me...doing what God has called me to do in the way Christ enables me to be.

Sometimes I am a giver...sometimes I receive. Forgive...forgiven... Servant....served.... It results in authentic, aligned living... and it's really not a matter of thought... it is a matter of trust...of faith.

Thank you...gracious God! Now, what are "we" going to do together today?