Are We Stuck or Planted?
What is God’s Plan During My Isolation?
Where do the beautiful things, the things that last a lifetime come from? The last word that comes to mind is the word forced. We believe such things are meant to come from feeling free, being a poet who wanders on the hills in beautiful places where they have traveled with special people. It is definitely not compatible with the idea of being stuck someplace. So in these days, are we stuck or are we planted, like a plant that is pushing through and will either bloom or bear fruit? What is God doing?
Free From Pressure?
First of all, I want to challenge the notion that all great things in this life happen in a lovely environment free from pressure. A lot of things in our life have a force, a pressure to them, even things that are lovely, beautiful things. Huh? For example, Valentine’s Day creates all manner of angst. Sure, there is one we love the most but there is a pressure, to make ourselves feel deeply moved beyond the usual. We feel we have to get it right on February 14th. Sometimes the pressure makes it no fun at all. Oh well, chocolate is always good.
Creativity Becomes Almost A Burden
There are two traumas that we experience in our lives on a regular basis that I call, “the trauma of forced creativity” and “the trauma of forced affirmation.” Both of those involve skills and diligence, but there are also feelings involved in it and those are hard to just make happen. Yet we do. Let me explain. For those who create things—sermons, songs, poems, paintings, ad campaigns, TV or radio programs—creativity becomes almost a burden because it has a deadline, and usually a very public one. (This is not to mention that creative people might never finish something without a deadline but that’s another story.) So our creativity is forced, it’s stuck, but it is our life, our purpose.
Encourage Others
The other trauma I call “forced affirmation” is the bane of those whose life is built around people and demands interpersonal skills. If you are not positive and affirming (cheerful, even before coffee?) you will not go far working with people. So we take the advice of Dale Carnegie who pointed out that we can find something uplifting to say about anyone if we will just notice. The trauma is learning to mean it, to be genuine, because everyone hates lying and empty flattery. We can be positive and affirming, and yeah, it’s forced, but we are always glad we did. Even though we are stuck with it, we know in our heart it’s God’s purpose for us to encourage others, so we go with it.
Doing Our Work for Jesus Means Doing it Well
We go through the trauma of forced creativity and forced affirmation for the simple reason that anything we do we really do for Jesus. “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve” (Colossians 3:23,24). The Bible says we have to do it well; it does not say all the circumstances we are stuck in have to line up. Doing our work for Jesus means doing it well. “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men” (Proverbs 22:29).
Affirmation of others is a command to be obeyed. “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29). This is for all of us; we cannot opt out. Depending on our personality, yes, we might have to make ourselves do it. Ultimately it does feel better to do what’s right, even if we did it under duress.
Are We “Stuck” At Home?
So are we “stuck” at home? Or is it part of God’s purpose? Of course there is the anxiety of the pandemic, we all acknowledge that. But that aside, what does God have going on?
I would suggest several things. We have all acknowledged that we do not spend enough quality time with our families. Sure, it was forced on us, but is that a bad thing? I watch families race to all kinds of sports practices, but now there are no sports. The guy down the street is out playing catch with his son every day, I never saw that before. I saw on Facebook a mom out kicking soccer balls with her kids. No matter how much we loved little league, what we remember is the time our dads played with us. Many have said their life is always racing, that they have no time for quiet to be with God. Now we have quiet, sure it was forced on us, but are we using it? Did God stick us here in isolation on purpose?
Chasing Sunsets – Pastor Clay’s Devotions
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