All on the Field: A Good Soldier—Having Focus - Friday
Hebrews 12:3-4
Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. (NLT)
Have you ever visited a monastery? Imagine a beautiful place set aside for prayer, reading, and focused time with Jesus. Sound refreshing and refilling for you, or the complete opposite?
I’m a confirmed introvert, so I can’t help but imagine monastic life as being one of refreshing peace, silence, and solitude. I am drawn to the idea of peaceful walks, silent pondering, naps in the sun, a few daily services where the Psalms are sung out beautifully… and everyone floating around on clouds, exuding the kindness of Christ, right?
The images in my mind are those of idyllic perfection. But one such visit to a monastery wasn’t what I expected. I’d heard that you could simply ask, and you’d be welcome to share a meal with the monks. In silence, of course. But I had no problem with that! Provision was yours for the asking; kind of like Jesus, so that sounded right.
I inquired at the front desk and was instructed to ask the abbot. My knock on his door met with a scowl, he was perturbed at the interruption. I sheepishly asked if I could eat with them that day. I was taken aback by the response: “There’s a gas station down the road where you can buy food.” Ouch.
Maybe he was overwhelmed or distracted by the demands of leadership. Perhaps I was the fifteenth person that day to ask the same thing. I was disappointed, but I thought, “It’s all good—I need grace, too.” Then I saw the words etched in stone on the wall: “All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ.” Ouch. The swing-and-miss couldn’t have been more obvious.
The point isn’t that a leader seemed to have forgotten his focus. It’s that we all—yes, you and me both—miss the mark, even when the right choice is as clear as though it were etched in stone and we walked past the reminder daily. So we keep following Jesus, cultivating a habit of obedience in both big and small ways. We give grace to ourselves and to others when we miss the mark… until our struggle with sin ends and we cross over to the other side. We set our eyes on Jesus and focus on being transformed into His image and reflection.
Friday’s Reflection
When we focus on doing the little things well, they can add up to obedience in the big stuff, too. As we learn more about who God is and what He’s like, and cooperate with Him in the transformation process in our lives, we will get it right more and more often. We try, fail, stand up and try again. It’s a long journey. I’m so grateful for the grace God extends.
