Scripture: Psalm 127:1-2
Journal: Where in your life are you eating the bread of anxious toil? Where are you trying to build the house? What is the effect of each?
Reflection:
It is a very subtle thing. At times hardly noticeable at all. It may begin with a growing sense of
frustration, and then progress into a significant amount of anxiety. That’s when I start getting suspicious that
I’ve done it again. I have taken over the
building of the house once more.
I don’t know what causes me to do it.
Maybe somehow I believe in my heart of hearts that it’s all up to me to
build this life, or this ministry, or this career, or whatever else the house
might be. Or maybe it’s even uglier
than that. Maybe I am determined to be
the one in control of it all. I am
determined to be the one who decides what it looks like. I am
determined to be the one who chooses the size and the layout and the paint
colors. Maybe I am actually unwilling to
trust God with it.
Either way it always leads
me to the same place—eating the bread of anxious toil. No matter how early I get up, no matter how
many hours I put in, and no matter how late I go to sleep (if I go to sleep at
all), it is all in vain. And there’s
really nothing I can do about it, no matter how hard I try. Somehow I have to come to the realization
that it is not up to me. Somehow I have
to confess that building this house is a job far bigger that I have the
capability or competence to handle. It
is a humbling place to be. I must
confess that I have once again tried to take control of something that only God
can truly care for. And I must repent,
return the hammer and the plans and the blueprints to the One who dreamt the
whole thing into being in the first place, and trust. Then maybe, finally, he will give his
beloved rest.
Prayer
Closing
Prayer: If God doesn’t build the house, the builders
only build shacks. If God doesn’t guard the city, the night watchman might as
well nap. It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried
fingers to the bone. Don’t you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves? (The
Message)
No comments:
Post a Comment