If you ask people how they are doing, how often do they include the word “busy” in their reply?  We often feel we need to justify ourselves that way – I’m busy.  I’m not lazy.  I’m productive!

This isn’t untrue, we usually are busy!  But it’s not always a good form of busyness.  Negative busyness comes from a cycle of slavery to work, defining ourselves by our work, or becoming consumed by worry and guilt about work.

One inner way to combat this is with satisfaction.  It starts with satisfaction in Christ – I am not God, I am not in charge of universe.  God is.

I rebelled against him, but Jesus has done something incredible, in his death on cross, for me.  He’s accomplished what matters most in life – he’s freed me from having to prove my worth.  I don’t need to accomplish anything to know God for eternity.  He’s accomplished it for me.

This can be remembered with Sabbath rest every week.  Rest is an opportunity to look back and celebrate what’s been done by God, and by you.  You might journal, and pray to thank God for the successes, say sorry for the failures, and acknowledge that what’s done is done.

Then you can look forward to the new week ahead, now in perspective.

Challenge: Divide a piece of paper into four columns, and think about the last work week.  In the first column, write your worries, then your guilts, then your unfinished business.  Now in the fourth column, write some words that represent who you are, and want to be.  Where are the disconnects between this column and the others?

Ryan Sim - April 17, 2013

Wednesday - Change - Perfection

Jesus said, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." If the Sermon on the Mount was just about a list of rules for us this would be discouraging, hopeless. But it's not. It's about Jesus - his blueprint for his life - showing us what God is really like. We are meant to see that Jesus looks like God. It's not just about how to behave, but how to discover the living God in Jesus, and reflect that into the world. He is the pattern, blueprint for our lives as well. Perfect in greek is teleioi. A word about Identity, where perfection relates to love. God is love…all loving. Some scholars say "all embracing" is what that perfect word means. To be like God is undiscriminating and undifferentiating love toward all. Even those who don’t deserve it. He’s loving and merciful. Of course love doesn’t mean endorsement, or uncaringly saying “I don’t care what you do”. Sometimes God’s love means he protects us, stops us, redirects us, and more. We show we are children of God when we show Christlikeness. All embracing love. Connection back to love last week - Love is not sporadic, but who we are. Even with enemies. "To return evil for good is devilish, to return good for good is human, to return good for evil is divine." - Alfred Plummer Even with Jesus' example, we can be discouraged. He WAS God, so being godly was no great feat. What about us? We'll see tomorrow why there is hope for us being perfect(ed). Question: Jesus actually lived the perfect, loving life he commands us to live. Does this encourage, or discourage you? Why?

Related Topics: Disappointment, God, Perfection | More Messages from Ryan Sim | Download Audio

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