Today, I'm going to throw some advice at you that I need myself. I'm not standing on a soapbox, preaching at my readers. I'm merely relaying that which was preached to me. I needed to hear it, I still need to put it into practice, and I want you guys to hear it as well.
Really, this post is kind of one big conglomeration of different sermons and personal advice I've listened to over the course of about a month or so now. I have a pretty easy target for an illustration, too: Pinterest.
Pinterest is great. I've used it to creep on people so that I have some idea of what to get them for their birthday or for Christmas. So, lady readers, take note: if you expect something from me for Christmas or your birthday, drop subtle hints via Pinterest. It's also loaded with great advice no one in their right mind would ever think of (seriously, putting a dustpan in the sink to funnel water into a bucket? Somebody must have been uber caffeinated when they came up with that one), and practical "how-tos" (like how to tie a tie 12 different ways). But it also has side effects that you're probably not thinking about.
Most pinners have a board about their future house, or future yard, future wedding, or even future spouse. There are boards full of places they want to visit someday, full of things they want to have someday. At face value, there is nothing wrong with that. I like pictures of nice things, too. But, just like anything, thoughts of those things can begin to occupy an unwarranted place in our lives. We begin to focus on the future; placing our hope in things we want, places we want to be, people we want to be with. This skews our focus, obviously. We worry more about what we want to do and less about who we want to be. It creates expectations that are, let's face it, unrealistic in many cases, so that what we actually end up with doesn't seem good enough. Pursuing God's will might take a backseat, too. And, the present takes a backseat as well. Let me throw a bit of scripture at you:
James 4:13-16 (ESV)- Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit-- yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
Don't get offended. I'm not calling you evil, and I'm notorious for doing the same thing. I have a Type A, analytical, highly structured, planning personality. At one time in my life, I had ever season planned out from my sophomore year in high school to the time my children were in high school. Funny thing happened: things changed. A lot. And I kind of got bummed out when I realized things weren't going to go down the way I had expected them to. But beyond that, focusing on the future also limits your effectiveness in the present. Matthew 6:34 tells us that tomorrow will worry about itself, and that today has worries enough of its own.
Well, since the Bible says not to worry a kajillion times, let's think of that more as "things to focus on." And that's kind of the other problem with Pinterest. And Facebook. And Twitter. And Reddit. And even ESPN or Flotrack (well, in my case). And apparently Blogger. We only have so much time. What do we do with it? We waste it, usually. Not intentionally. Here's a prime example of what I'm talking about:
We get online with a purpose, and end up checking our social media, which in turn leads to... doing nothing worthwhile. Think about this:
That's true, and a lot of you are uncomfortably laughing, shifting in your seats, and wondering how long you need to wait after eating that last muffin or scone (the recipe for which I will almost guarantee you did not get on Pinterest) before attempting to run (or shuffle). But I had other pursuits in mind when I started typing.
We're kind of focusing on being intentional with our time right now at Christian Challenge. We've been challenged to make this summer about getting to know God better. As you all know, getting to know anyone better takes time. Time that we're probably wasting in front of a computer screen. The fact is, no use of time is better than spending it with God. I'm not saying you should never do anything to unwind, nor am I saying every second of your life should be productive. I'm just challenging you, as I myself have been challenged, to be more intentional with how you spend your time.
So, here is some advice given to me, which I will now offer you. Read God's word. Memorize scripture. Keep a prayer journal. Read a C.S. Lewis book. Do something worthwhile, be faithful. If you can bring glory to God through what you're doing, it's not a bad use of time. Keep God central, and pin whatever you want. When you have time.
Thank you for making us stop and think, Jameson. I'm so happy to know you! My heart smiles when I see you!
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