Cure for the Common Life [3]

Use your uniqueness to make a big deal out of God [3] EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIFE.


Take your job and love it. One third of Americans hate their job. (there were most stats here that hit me hard - there are a lot of unhappy people out there!) Instead of running out and change professions, change your attitude toward your profession. In Luke 5, Jesus climbs into Peter's boat and asks him to sail out to sea a bit so he can continue to preach to the masses on the beach. We all have a boat- whether that's a cubicle, dump truck, courtroom or hospital wing. Jesus claims our workspaces. And our Wednesdays matter to Him as much as our Sundays do. Jesus showed Peter where to cast the nets later in Luke 5 - He can show us what to do while we are at work, if we invite Him there with us.

Pause on purpose. Mark 6:31 says 'come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.' To stay in the sweet spot, we must step away from the game periodically. (that's what I love about christmas/summer break...and weekends). In Luke 4:42 the crowd tries to keep Jesus from leaving the area after healing and preaching. If Jesus stayed, the crowd would end up dictating Jesus' steps and actions- we'll tell you where to preach and who to heal. So often in the Gospels we see Jesus retreat to a lonely place. Escape the noise of the crowd in order to hear the voice of God. Resist the undertow of our society and anchoring to the rock of your purpose. Sometimes, you may have to say no to good things so you can say yes to the right thing. (ooo. could that be no to a good job after college and yes to crusade...hm).

Trust little deeds. What begins minutely may end massively. The mustard seed parable, stone-weilding David, the two widow's coins in the offering- there are numerous examples. "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."

Decode your kids' code. Great chapter, tho I don't have kids. Proverbs 22:6 says 'train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.' this actually isn't necessarily talking about salvation; 'view each child as a book, not to be written, but to be read.' That's so cool. Sometimes I think I'm great at reading myself and at other times I'm not so great. "God gave you an eighteen year research project." Lol, that's so great. Childhood tendencies forecast adult abilities. Know your children's S.T.O.R.Y.'s. "The greatest gift you can give your children is not your riches, but revealing to them their own."

Don't be too big to do something small. "God's cure for the common life includes a strong dose of servanthood...Don't so focus on what you love to do that you neglect what needs to be done." Jesus is the supreme examples. None of the apostles ever washed his feet, but he washed theirs. It was what he came to do, and we can follow suit no matter what. Servanthood requires no unique skill or seminary degree. Love the overlooked. Wave a white flag. Do something every day that you don't want to do.