Day 2: The Attraction of Lesser Things

I have the feeling this is going to be a challenging book, and that is a very good thing.

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The chapter opens with the sad realization that, while we know we ought to put relationships first, and even when we have the best intentions, there are so many distractions that easily get in the way. Can you say "Facebook"? Granted, there are times where I'm chatting with people back in the mitten via fb chat, but even then it's so easy to be looking at pictures or commenting on whatever, and 10 minutes later you realized you never responded to the person's question because you didn't even see it pop up.

Of course, we could get into a debate about how online interaction may or may not be tearing down the way in which we build relationships with others, but that's not my task for today.

Really though, how easy is it to be in mid-conversation with something and someone's phone rings? Or when you're rushing to get to the next place, and someone's trying to draw you into an important talk? Or what about chatting with someone over dinner, and the music in the background strikes you? I am super guilty of that last one.

The fact of the matter is that we need to realize that a)we are very easily distracted by all the things that go on around us, and b)we have to force ourselves to not be distracted if we want to improve the quality of our personal interactions. And with the iPhone generation exploding and continuing to bury themselves in technology, live person-to-person interaction is becoming more and more of a rarity and a precious commodity. Don't take that the wrong way- I am not saying that if you have an iPhone, you are a terrible person and you must not have any good relationships. I am saying, however, that I will probably not jump onto the iPhone train anytime soon (until the inevitable technological take over of Apple, where it will be my only option if I want to be able to communicate across long distances). So, going back to the greatest commandments, we have to choose to love with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. It's a consistent action, not a one-time choice, and that's what makes this tough.

There are five questions "to jump-start your thoughts in an honest direction," so I thought I would share:
-What's the first thing you think about in the morning?
-What does your schedule tell you about your priorities?
-As you look at your checkbook, what gets paid, no matter what?
-What do you find yourself talking about most?
-What's the last thing you think about when your head hits the pillow at night?
I won't bother divulging my own answers here, but they are certainly probing questions.

There are two "lesser values" that this chapter submits as being less important than relationships. First is money. "No one can serve both God and money". . . and it's true! How many times do we think, "if I can just make $___ more, I can go buy this, and then I'll be happy!" or "I can skim a little money from this so that I can use it here!" and what we're skimming from is something we really ought not be (like tithing, or children's college funds, or emergency money). And when we do that. . . there's always a hole inside that never gets filled. "Lesser values don't deliver on their promises." Life is more than things. . . and the purpose of our lives goes far beyond what we accomplish before we die. So why do we worry about what we will eat and wear? God will provide, assuming we are aligned with His will and faithfully putting our trust in Him.

The second "lesser value" is tasks. Ugh. I have a problem with this. I am a task master and somewhat obsessed with efficiency. This means I get to do a lot. . . but it also means that it is easy for me to be focused on the doing rather than the "whom" that I am doing for. In fact, I get caught up in that more often than I would like to admit. I love being involved because of the people I get to interact with. . . but the pursuit of perfection in whatever I'm doing sometimes gets to be too much for me, and I am prone to spaz out (shocking, I know). I want whatever experience I'm working on to be the best for everyone, but sometimes I forget that I'm also working with other people, and I should also be making the work environment a pleasant place; just because they are part of the process doesn't mean they aren't part of that "everyone" that gets to experience the best. And ultimately, it doesn't matter how good you are at something if you are aggravating the people you are working with. It also doesn't matter what you are doing if the point is for your own glorification. While I generally don't have a problem with this, it's still something that I keep a careful eye out as I do the different things I do. I've always said that I only do things that I love to do, and I find that to be a pretty consistent standard as I sign myself up for all different adventures. But, do I always act like I am loving what I am doing? That's something I need to work on making more consistently.


Point to Ponder: God does not demand of me that I accomplish great things. He does demand of me that I strive for excellence in my relationships.
That is such a fantastic set of statements. Again, if we keep in mind that "relationships" also includes our relationship with God, then this becomes a pretty good credo. Whenever we set out to do great things through our power, it generally blows up in our face at some point. However, when we set out to do great things through God, we cannot fail. Also, if we really expect to get anywhere in life, we must have good relationships with people, or we will either be stopped by our lack of connection or find that we're all alone at the top of a summit that we didn't really want to be scaling in the first place.

Verse to Remember: Matthew 6:25- "So I tell you, don't worry about everyday life- whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn't life consist of more than food and clothing?"
Such great wisdom in that whole illustration. . . so why do we continue to ignore it?

Question to Consider: What do the ways in which I spend my time and money say about the top priorities in my life?
Well, I'm still in the beginning stages of "my life," but I find that my time and money point to a few things: church, friends, and music. I'm still working out kinks and developing balance in life, but things are going pretty well.