I just had to reboot my computer...this doesn't happen too often because I'm a Mac user with a huge amount of RAM at my disposal...but it happens enough that it catches my attention. Rebooting essentially gets rid of all the stuff that is taking up your computer's usable memory. It tells the computer, "hey, I've been a bit hyper today...I've been ambitious...I tried to push you and I understand, you like things on your terms. So I'm starting out fresh..." Re-booting is wiping the slate clean; it gives you an opportunity to reexamine the reasons why you have the programs open that you do; it is in many respects an electronic cleansing of the palate so that you know you are focusing on the essentials of your work.
It shouldn't be a surprise to you when I say then that we have "way too many programs" open when it comes to how we understand faith, praxis, and life in the Church. So many things can gain our attention...so many things vie for control of our times, energy and resources. It's enough to have to our demands, visions, dreams, and emphases open on the table of our lives...but then add to them the congregation's wishes and prayers, the denomination's and District's encouragements and initiatives, and the pressures that go along with a rapidly changing culture and spiritual landscape - no wonder it is time to reboot. Truthfully, that's what we often need to do...simply stop and reboot...simply stop and reexamine what we are doing, how we are living, and rediscover a way to hold on to the essentials. That's why the following quotes caught my eye and heart this morning:
"The freedom to know God, unhindered as much as possible from religious or human discoloration, is the central joy and purpose of life. All of the rest of our journey in church-life (life with and for Jesus) is informed by our deepening friendship with God that is allowing him to be more intimately involved in our lives than ever before...The result is often a personal renewal of our own relationship with Jesus, a greater longing to understand what it is to be an uncompromising follower, to hear his voice, to respond to him, and to live out of a deep intimacy and love relationship with him that is truly center stage in our life."
Getting to the bottom line of who we are, why we do what we do, and what the purpose of life is all about is vital to the health, vitality and focus of our followership in Jesus. Disciples and leaders need rebooting often...what is it that you have lost sight of because "too many programs" are opened and you are running slow and inefficiently? How would your life and ministry change if you rebooted to Jesus?
There's been a little book that I've kept in my library for years...I read this section occassionally when I get the sense that the Spirit is calling me to reboot. See how it fits in your soul today:
"I'm only 57, and I already find myself weary of the hollow thoughts of what few accomplishments I may have mustered in my life. My failures continue to embarrass me. The inadequacies I have carried with me since my youth still frustrate me. My insecurities still trouble my soul. And the praise of others has an increasingly hollow ring I am tired of worrying about whether or not the sermon I preached was good enough or whether or not someone will pat me on the back for a job well done. I'm tired of worrying about what people think about me. I'm weary of the carnal feeling that sometimes haunts me when someone talks about his favorite preacher and it's not me. Bottom line, I just flat out get tired of me. But I never get tired of Jesus. After all these years, I still find Him more compelling, more engaging, more awesome, more surprising, more fulfilling, and more attractive than ever before. I never get tired of singing His praises or watching Him perform. I find Him to be gripping. Absorbing. Beyond comprehension. And that's why - along with Paul, my grandmother, Billy Graham, and countless others through the years - I find myself longing to know Him better. I am becoming increasingly aware that life doesn't go on forever. When we're young, we think we are bulletproof. We live like we'll never die. But when your knees protest certain movements and your eyesight and memory begin to grow fuzzy, reality sets in. I can see the day coming when there'll be another president of Moody - and a better one at that. There'll be other preachers who bless hungry hearts. And me? I'll be sitting in the corner of some nursing home waiting for them to ring the lunch bell. And if life up to that point has been all about me, that is going to be a sad and empty day - no matter what they are serving for lunch. Why? Because all I will have will be me. Which at that point won't be much. But...if my life has been about knowing Jesus and experiencing a deepening relationship with Him, as I sit in that corner of the nursing home waiting for the lunch bell to ring, He'll be there with me. The Mighty Son of God...the Bright and Morning Star...the Desire of all Nations...the Great Shepherd of the Sheep...the wondrous Creator of all...the King of Kings and Lord of Lords..." (Joe Stowell)
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