NEW YEAR'S THOUGHT:

Are you living by a Compass or a Clock?

By Pastor Alan Ahlgrim

Ref: Psalm 31:1-5;14-15; John 10:17-18

In the healthy life there needs to be both purpose and joy.  Jesus was never in a hurry, Jesus lived His life on purpose; however, Jesus also seized a variety of sudden opportunities that came His way.

When architect Frank Lloyd Wright was a little boy of nine, he walked with his uncle across a snowy field on a cold, gray morning.

1. His uncle was a stern, driven man, bristling with impatience.  The clock inside him boomed like a drum, drove him to move forward with a rapid pace to quickly get to the other side of the field.

 2. When they reached their destination, Frank paused with his uncle while his uncle pointed out their separate tracks in the snow.

 3. Young Frank’s tracks ranged far and wide, while his uncle’s tracks were straight and direct like stitching on a cloth.

 4. “Frank,” the uncle said, “notice how your tracks wander aimlessly from the fence to the cattle to the woods and back again.  And see how my tracks aim directly toward their goal.  There is an important lesson in that.”

 5. And there was indeed, a life long lesson.  Years later Frank said: “I determined right then, not to miss most things in life, as my uncle had.”

 6. While Frank Lloyd Wright obviously accomplished more in life than most, he also determined early on, not to miss out on the joy of the journey.

This is what Jesus did, this is how Jesus lived.  While Jesus clearly lived with a sense of high calling and grand purpose (the highest and grandest of all) Jesus also took a number of zig zags and detours doing whatever seemed best to Him.

He even frustrated people at times, but he was anything but frantic or anxious.  He was deliberate and determined to do whatever seemed to suit His Father’s purpose and to bring His Father glory.

He said: “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life – only to take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.  I have the authority to take it up again.  This command I received from my Father.” (John 10: 17-18)

 Jesus lived with a clear sense of mission.  However, Jesus also enjoyed the freedom to make decisions in the fulfillment of His mission; and the same is true for us.

“But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hands…” (verses 14-15a)

 The direction of your life is more important than the speed of your life.

1.    The clock represents commitments, appointments, schedules, activities, all those things that we feel that we have to do to meet needs and expectations...whereas, the compass represents vision, values, principles, mission and direction. All those things that we ultimately know matter most.

1. Most people live with at least the low grade frustration that they are not getting everything done that they ought to.  Whether that’s spending enough time on the job or time with the family; whether that’s serving in the church or doing their devotional reading.

2. When it comes to time management, we all lament that we’re somehow missing the mark of the ideal.  There is always someone out there who seems to get more done, and do it more enjoyably as well.  Those people can be very challenging, even irritating!

3. I marvel at some of my friends who read so much or write so much; friends who lead and manage large enterprises and also have time for a large family.  I wonder how they do it. 

4. I often feel like a slacker when I’m around some of the high energy, high relational people even in our own church.  I wonder how they get so much more done than I do. 

5. I’ve even got some pastor friends that I perceive are at least as productive as I am and yet also consistently take two days off every week.  I’m amazed by that; humbled by that; mystified by that.

But then when I press for more details, I usually find that the very people whose accomplishments I envy; are living with their own set of laments.

1. I’ve yet to meet anyone who always gets everything just right and always keeps everything in perfect balance.  We all tend to be either a “Mary” or a “Martha”.

2. Remember that story in Luke 10:38:42? That’s where Jesus visits the house of some friends.  Martha has a big digital clock in her kitchen and she is scurrying around in a frantic effort to fix dinner for Jesus and those who had arrived at the last minute.

3. But while Martha is working hard by herself in the kitchen, Martha’s sister Mary is apparently totally oblivious to the needs for meal preparation and instead is totally absorbed in listening to Jesus.

4. Fred Craddock says: “If we censor Martha too harshly, she may abandon serving altogether.  And if we commend Mary too profusely, she may sit there forever!  There is a time to go and do.  There is a time to listen and reflect.  Knowing which and when is a matter of spiritual discernment.”

There’s nothing easy about discernment.  We often only learn wisdom by making mistakes (or by watching others make mistakes).  After all, life is too short to make all the mistakes ourselves.  We only get better with managing our life clocks by consulting our life compass. 

1. That is, we each need to consult our compass every day through prayer and reflection in the word. 

2. This was David’s realization when he said: “…for the sake of your name lead and guide me.  Free me from the trap that is set for me…”

3. We all need leading and guiding from God because we all live with daily traps, moral traps and time traps that are ready and waiting to distract us.

4. We all need to ask God for help with our schedules, even plead with God at times to enlighten us.

5. This is what David does in verses 14-15.  “But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’  My times are in your hands…”

HAPPY NEW YEAR!