Every once in a while, the balance of life is interrupted by plans that God has for his children. Our father is entirely loving, and in his love, he grows us and changes us. He renews our perspective by throwing a wrench in our works. He allows us to see which things we are attempting on our own strength, for which things we have truly trusted in his provision.
I am learning that one of the most important ways to be like Christ is to know that there are certain tasks and events that are not to be approached anachronistically.
Jesus would not go to Jerusalem until the time was right.
He directed people whom he had healed to not speak of his acts.
When he had fed the 5000, the people sought to force him to be king over them. He slipped away.
And as the Byrds reminded us, Jesus taught us that there is a season for everything. There is a time for every purpose under heaven. Even war...
I just watched an interesting movie: "Country Strong." While I would not recommend this film for young audiences, and probably not for a sit-down and relax, feel-good movie, it was an interesting take on the shiny and not so shiny sides of the country music industry in the U.S. The plot centers on four characters, all caught in a love rectangle / production-oriented tour. At the beginning of the movie, and woven throughout the rest of the film, was a song that two of the characters wrote together: "Timing is Everything."
Breathing is important. Breathe in. Breathe out. For sanity's sake, we don't think about our breathing. It is typically a subconscious activity, until it comes bubbling up to our conscious when we are too far under the covers, or are trying to swim across the whole pool underwater in one breath. We also become aware of it when we breath in something that we shouldn't ever inspire. Smoke, certain gases, dust, liquid. The sudden awareness leaves us coughing, gagging, gasping, hiccoughing... choking.
A professor from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School came to Moody Bible Institute and spoke in a chapel about the nature of the Holy Spirit. In the discussion, he focused on the breath/wind part of the etymology of the word. Part of his conclusion was that our lives in relation to God is tied up in breathing. Spiritually discipling ourselves to subconsciously breathe in (Study the word, be exhorted, be taught, be mentored, be discipled, fast/pray) and breathe out (Love others, worship/obey, pray/fast, teach, exhort, mentor).
Sometimes, I am finding, that in order to be a spiritual leader on the scale of what God would have, we must be willing to breathe in. I am in a season, where I have largely exhaled. I think that burn-out in some ways is saying: I have given and given, but I have not been replenished. Its like singing that last long note in so many ye olde Christmas songs: Glo-oooo-ooooo-ooo-ooooo-ooooo-ria.. Oh night di - IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE. If you don't take a breath before the next line, what good are you doing.
One has no voice if one does not inhale.
Balance in life, in breathing, in following Jesus, in leading, in service, in worship, in everything is a subconscious activity, like an engine in a car, that from time to time needs to have the hood opened and checked. The oil needs to be changed. The tune-ups need to happen. And occasionally, the alternator needs to be replaced, and you have you check your car into the shop for a while.
In this season of declining as a spiritual leader, one thing that I must do is to humble myself, allow the rush to fly by, and re-establish a healthy pattern of breathing. Timing is everything.
