Purpose

Are You Ready?

Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.” – Acts 21:13-14

Preparing for any time of testing is difficult. Whether it’s a competitive game, a academic exercise, or a real-life circumstances, there’s prepartion that is required before success can be anticipated. Preparation refines our skills, teaches us lessons, and builds our strength. If my life is any indication, usually we know when we’re ready or if we’re just going to try to get by on a wing and a prayer. We know because we have confidence that we have done the work necessary to achieve our goals.

I think sometimes though we don’t undertake the same level of care with our spiritual preparation as we do making sure that we are ready for other events in our lives. We approach life with the recklessness of the rookie, rather than with the discipline of the battletorn soldier. We trust that our instincts will get us by, without refining what our instincts should be. We like to believe that God will supernaturally reinforce us without taking the time to build a foundation. Bad circumstances overwhelm us, because we never prepare for their eventual return.

In this case, and maybe in it only, what is true in athletics is also true spiritually. We can’t hope to achieve readiness in the midst of the circumstance; readiness is achieved beforehand. Knowing that te purpose of this life is to bring God glory and to worship Him, our preparations should consist of becoming more adept at that. Our practice comes when things are good, when life is (relatively) carefree and we don’t feel the desperate need for God that comes in times of trial. It is through this preparation that our skills are honed and our responses become instinctual. Right response is then not based on feeling, but on Who God is.

Paul had a very clear idea of what he would face as he entered Jerusalem. He made sure that he was ready to face it.

Are you?

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Growth

I Love This Song

It’s a common refrain that’s heard as I walk into the art department. It’s almost always immediately followed by a sing-along and if, the art department is lucky, an impromptu dance performance. I love music. I always have. And whether it’s a rocking song from the 90’s, aflashback to the 80’s, or my work-day theme song, it requires a lot of restraint for me not to belt out the words along with the radio. I can certainly relate to the guy I observed in Blockbuster who joined in on the Rascal Flatts videoplaying throughout the store. Music speaks to my soul and my soul wants to respond.

My affinity for music is probably why I like worship songs* so much. They express thoughts about God that just can’t be conveyed with the spoken word. I haven’t decided if it’s because the lyrics blended with the melody bring a greater depth to the relationship, or if it’s simply easier to capture and relate to thoughts expressed in rhyme, but either way, I know that my greatest moments of worship are often accompanied by music.

And this has been that way through the ages. Miriam sang as the Israelites escaped Egypt. Mary sang upon receiving her angelic greeting. And the most famous lyricist of them all, David, sang and danced at every occasion imaginable.

Maybe it’s because music allows us to engage with our Maker in a manner that’s reflective of His being. After all, God is essentially an artist; the greatest design in the world is reflected in creation. And especially for those non-artistic types like myself, music provides me one avenue of engaging with God in a manner that expresses His heart. So much of life and my relationship with God is based on who I am; music is expressive of Him.

The art department can look forward to many more random performances. And if they’re fortune, they may even experience another dance-off. (If you weren’t there – that’s a story for another time). But none of these performances will compare with the ultimate show – when we’re standing at our Maker’s feet, singing along to His song.

*A quick sidebar to state a pet peeve – please note I said worship songs. Worship isn’t exclusively about music. When preachers say, “And now that we’ve finished worship. . “, I want to scream, “So what are we doing for the rest of the church service – being entertained?”

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