What am I doing here???

The purpose of life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others. 
–Albert Schweitzer


There is a wonderful story about Elijah, Jezebel and God in 1 Kings. Elijah has been persecuted by Jezebel and fears for his life. Feeling alone and very sorry for himself, he goes to hide out in a cave. God sends a raven to feed and care for him, keeping him nourished and strong.

Then God tells Elijah to stand outside the cave, and the LORD will pass by in all his glory. Elijah covers his face with his cloak and waits. The mountain shakes with a violent earthquake-- but the LORD was not in the earthquake. Fire covers the mountain—but the LORD was not in the fire.

After the fire came a still, small whisper in Elijah’s soul. And the LORD was in the whisper, and had a single, piercing question for Elijah:

What are you doing here, Elijah?

Good question, one we should be asking ourselves on a regular basis. What am I doing here, anyway?

Our days in this place are numbered. How are we using them to honor God? Are we bringing more Kingdom into the world—or obstructing its growth with our words or actions? Do we genuinely worship God with our lives—or has something else claimed lordship in our hearts? Take a moment, right now, to look in the mirror and ask yourself:

What am I doing here? Listen as God guides your path. . . .


Monday Are you a planner? Plan some deliberate quiet time into your day. Put it on your calendar, and honor that commitment. 1 Kings 19:1-2

Tuesday Admit to God and yourself something that you are genuinely afraid of. Listen for God’s words of comfort. 1 Kings 19:3-6

Wednesday Ash Wednesday Remember your ancestors today. Is there someone in your family tree whose story merits telling? Tell it. 1 Kings 19:7-9

Thursday Where do you find God (or allow God to find you)? Is there a special place where God always shows up? When was the last time you went there? 1 Kings 19:10-11

Friday Choose a book from your childhood. Try to track it down and read it again. How does it feel to revisit the story with life experience? 1 Kings 19:12-13

Saturday The LORD still speaks in whispers and breezes. Listen today, not with your ears, but with your heart, for the voice of God in unexpected places. Psalm 50:1-2

Sunday You come to this place of worship. Why are you here? Whom will you worship this morning? How will God be glorified? What will you take away from this morning, when you leave this place? Isaiah 40:26-31

Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. 
And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them. –Dalai Lama



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stepping back. . . .

Image
Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and with a calm spirit.  Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever,  even if your whole world seems upset.  –St. Francis de Sales This week, I invite you to simply sit in a quiet space with words of hope and promise, and to remember, as Julian of Norwich knew, that all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well . It has been a long, difficult season. Advent and the coming of the Christ is just around the corner. Peace and comfort to your spirit. Monday   “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” Matthew 11:28-30 Tuesday  “Is this not the kind of fast I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” Isaiah 58:6-9 Wednesday  “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the
Read more

It's that time again. . . .

When the seasons shift, even the subtle beginning, the scent of a promised changed, I feel something stir inside me. Hopefulness? Gratitude? Openness?  Whatever it is,  it’s welcome. –Kristin Armstrong No matter what part of the world you call home, this time of year brings big changes. While my friends Down Under are watching sings of new growth emerge from the earth as temperatures rise, here in Ohio, the leaves are turning from green to gold and orange, red and brown. The winds have taken on a chill; clouds hang heavy, like soggy cotton, reminding us that soon and very soon, we are going to see the snow . Always different, yet somehow, the same. We depend on God’s eternal ways, and trust that again this year, winter will follow autumn, just like it should. So why is it, as we anticipate and appreciate changes like these, when it comes to so many things in life we pull up short, wrinkle our noses and say No! No change! I like things just the way they are! It’s t
Read more

Starting again

“This, then, is how you should pray:" --Matthew 6:9a I have been really sensing lately that there is another blog inside me, one focused on prayer.  Oh, I know-- those elephants are all about prayer. Heck, they  are  prayer. And I will continue there, as well. But what I've been feeling is that people-- maybe you--  have always been told, "You should pray," or "Pray about that." But maybe you feel your prayers aren't "good enough," or that it's just too hard, too embarrassing, too [fill in the blank] to pray. Maybe it feels like no one really talks about how  to pray-- except, of course, for Jesus, in Matthew 6 and a couple parallel passages where we are given what's come to be known as The Lord's Prayer. And it is a great prayer. And there are other great prayers, and other ways to pray that do not involve rote. So "my plan" here is to share, hopefully on a weekly or semi-regular basis, a lot of
Read more