Finding Order in a Busy Life

Missing family and friends aside and the small amount of discomfort that remains from being in a different culture, this is a very enjoyable place to be. I love Huatulco. The favorite part of my life in here is the people. But this is also one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I especially appreciate the ocean. I am amazed by the tremendous variety of different creatures there. I love to snorkel. I could float and watch for hours. Nature is a significant pathway for me to God.  

As I look at all of the different colors and sizes, and kinds of creatures, I am seeing a piece of God's majesty displayed before my eyes. I can also see that everything has a purpose. Every creature has its role to play or a job to do. Many are food for others. Some live from what has died. Some filter the water and others provide a hiding place. It is a community in God’s creation. It is a single system made up of thousands of parts working together.

Even the tides and currents, the sunshine and the wind work together make the system function. This is what we call the balance of nature. Each part of the system exists to serve the others. As each element does its part , the system remains healthy and functioning as it was designed by God to do. If one part of the system fails to fulfill its role, the system will begin to break down. If one part suffers, the whole system will suffer and eventually die.

   

There are many things in nature which reveal God. Romans 1:20 tells us that His eternal power and divine nature are clearly seen through what He has made. God is a God of order. He is not a God of confusion. We know what time the sun will rise and set. We know when it is the season to plant. In God’s design, there is order and harmony. How would it be if the sun rose and set at random times or if the seasons came unpredictably? What would happen if the insects no longer pollinated the flowers? We would have no fruit. What if the birds stopped eating insects?  We would be overrun by insects. The system would get out of balance. Another word for balance, order, and harmony is unity. God’s design for His creation is unity. Everything works together to keep the system in balance and working properly.  God's design for our lives is the same.

I used to believe that finding a balance in life takes careful thought, planning and close attention. I now realize that it is not about creating and managing a healthy balance. Our problem is not the  balance, our problem is our focus. If our focus is placed where it belongs, preeminently on Christ, the balance and order will take care of itself.

I used to believe that the Bible is an instruction manual for life. I no longer hold that view. It is not a book about how, it is a book about Who. Jesus said that if we love Him we will keep His commandments. (Jn 14:15) We focus more on keeping the commandments than on loving Him. That's backwards. If we focus our attention on loving Him, we will keep His commandments.

Perhaps if we stopped trying to plan, manage and control so tightly, we might see more of the results we want to see. Isn't that what the Pharisees were doing?  They managed and controlled so tightly that they wound up rejecting Christ because He didn't fit their expectations. They were so focused on their structure and their rules that they lost sight of God. Is this perhaps why He doesn't show up in our lives (and churches) as often as we'd like. He didn't bend to their expectations. Why should we expect Him to bend to ours?

Try putting Him first in everything and see what happens. Make your goal and direct your effort toward loving Him. I wish that I could say that I have mastered this concept. I want to, but I haven't. I am still His work in progress.