God has called us to think generationally; live purposefully; and do the essential.
“…how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more.” (Gal. 4:9)
It has been raining the last few days, but usually, I go hiking three to four days per week in a state park near our house. This park has become a big part of our family life. Over the last almost 18 years that we have lived here, we have collected family pictures standing at the various wooden engraved signs at trailheads in the park.
I can watch the growth of our family through the pictures as our youngest graduated out of a sling to a back pack carrier to running around with her siblings through the woods. We have fished and hiked and mountain biked through this park, and we’ve used the park for many homeschool field trips.
I still remember the time we found a “cow killer” running across the trail. We had no idea what it was, but something about it was menacing enough that we didn’t touch it. We only learned its name after searching Google when we got home, and only then realized how it got its name. (You should look it up!)
Sometimes, if I time my hikes right, I get stuck in traffic associated with the Middle School that sits on the fastest route from our house to the park.
It’s the dreaded car line.
Carefully, I am able to swing into the oncoming traffic-lane and get around the car line. And, as I pass the cars, I look into the windows and see mothers trying to redeem the time. Some are crocheting. Others are yelling into their phones or at the younger kids in the back.
They jealously look back.
I remember Leslie talking about the reality of car line when our children went to the private Christian school down the road. She felt like she was in line constantly with our youngest.
She would sit in the morning car line for about an hour in the morning. Go grocery shopping and run errands. Come home and eat lunch for about an hour. Seize an hour to work on something around the house and then head back out for car line to get a good spot.
This was the cycle. She used to complain that the car seat was going to stunt our daughter’s growth because she was in it so much.
Now when you consider purposeful and essential tasks, car line doesn’t really rise to the top of the list. I understand…It is essential because you can’t leave your children at the school, but it is more of a reactive activity rather than a purposeful one.
You don’t do it because you see it as a good use of time. You are forced into it. And, this is the point.
This is how we get off track. We do what we feel we must do. It’s like holding on to the bumper of a car.
Our oldest used to like to skateboard. While on vacation at the beach, we usually rent a golf cart. It’s fun and it provided freedom for the kids to drive around the island with an adult. My oldest would grab on to the bumper of the golf cart and have it pull him all over the island. He loved it and everything was fun and games until one day he decided to grab on to the back of a motorcycle because he was looking for a new thrill.
The motorcycle driver did not know my oldest and started to drive faster and faster. At the same time, my oldest did not let go. Instead he held on tighter and tighter until he could not hold on any longer, and there was a crash. He probably still has the scars from rolling on the pavement.
This is how our day and life gets filled with things that are not purposeful and essential . We mentally do what my son did on the back of that motorcycle. We hold on tighter and tighter. Even when things start to feel like they aren’t working. We hold on because we don’t know what else to do.
Before long we look up and we are doing a bunch of stuff that has no harvest. The tasks are vain, empty, and feel like they have no point. They feel like they have no purpose in the greater plan of God for us or our family.
As it comes to car line, what question was asked to make the decision to send your child off to school resulting in you sitting in car line? How did you evaluate this decision?
I know that we all have different circumstances that lead into decisions. But, what was the question you asked yourself that lead to the decision. Let’s substitute car line for something else. Homeschool Curriculum. Sports. Working a new job. Whatever it might be.
Some of you might be thinking right now…Question? What question? I never asked myself or my husband or wife a question about this! We just went with it.
If that is the case, that was your first mistake. With the possible exception of a few things in your life, you should always evaluate what you are doing with a question. But, the secret here is not just to ask a question but to ask the right question.
When you feel things are weighing on you, you should always go back and ask questions of what you are doing.
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mt. 11:29-30)
Now, the secret to this is what question you ask…The right question always puts Jesus in the center.
For instance:
- How does this bring my children to Christ?
- How does this make me a better husband/wife so we can exhibit Christ better?
- How does this make me a better parent to bring my children to Christ?
- How does this improve my relationship with Jesus Christ?
- What does this do for the Great Commission?
Here are some examples of bad questions:
- How do I get a promotion to make me more money to pay for bigger houses?
- How will this make me look better to my friends?
- How does my child get smarter, faster, better looking so I look good to others?
- How do I get my child into the right schools so I look better?
- “How do I make sure my child has the right friends (socialization)?
Whenever God is not the center and we start to pull ourselves into the center, we float. We lose our purpose and work on non-essential things. We chase shiny objects that look good on the outside but are not essential investments in the purpose God has given us.
And, you get dragged into things that suck the life out of you rather than give you life.
So, what is sucking the life out of you right now?
Ask the right question
Then ruthlessly remove whatever is sucking the life from you.
