“For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly; but the haughty he perceives from far away” (Psalm 138.6).

For much of my adult life, a battle waged within. It was a battle between my ego and my soul. My ego had bought into the cultural norm that self-sufficiency is the ideal; that I really wasn’t worth a whole lot unless I could show that I had succeeded on my own; that when faced with trouble I should be able to just “pull myself up by my bootstraps.” I even reached a point in my life when I actually believed I had pulled off such an ego-ideal. It is no coincidence that it was at precisely this point in my life that I began to lose complete control of my life. I was living in an illusion…some would say a delusion. Rather than humbly depending on God, I was instead arrogantly depending on alcohol and drugs, and haughtily claiming all of the credit for my worldly achievements. As a consequence of my efforts, God was only able to “perceive me from far away.” I certainly hadn’t set out to accomplish this end. I was simply following what I perceived to be the cultural prescription for success. I was simply being what I thought I was supposed to be in order to be considered valuable in this society.

Being brought to my knees by alcoholism, drug dependence, and real-life consequences made me teachable again. Through drawing me near to the Pit, God blessed me with the opportunity to see clearly the true basis for my ego-centric life -- fear, insecurity, and self-loathing. I began to see clearly the distinction between the insecure needs of my ego and the God-centered needs of my soul. What had been only a “still, small voice” became the clearly audible guidance of God. I began to be transformed in right-relation to God. Having been knocked to my knees, I realized that it was about time that I began making a daily prayer of surrender from my knees. I came to understand that God always intended for me to depend on him; and that, far from the dysfunction that ensues when one human being depends too heavily on another, a complete awareness of my “lowliness” in relation to God will only lead to greater and greater inner strength. I’ve learned that God invites me down a counter-cultural path on which his superiority in relation to me is matched fully by his love and support of me. Yes, his love for me is “fully complete.” Rather than using my humility against me, he sees it as an opportunity to draw me closer to him.

Lord God, thank you for regarding me so highly, even though in relation to you I am lowly. Help me to always trust that your steadfast love and faithfulness truly does endure forever.

Amen.

Starting in October, Lisa Gentry and I (and perhaps one other SG member) will be co-facilitating a group called Beyond the Message. The general aim of this group will be to take what has been presented in the message each week and to go deeper through discussion and Bible study. I'll be getting myself prepared for this group by offering a weekly written reflection on the weekly message. I may or may not continue this practice after we've begun the group in October. I'll have to decide whether I still have the time after the group has started. Keep in my mind that what is currently being written here represents only my thoughts and reflections, and not those of the other individual group members or the group as a whole. I welcome any comments or reactions you may have to what I have written.

“And going a little further, Jesus threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, ‘Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want’ ” (Mark 14.35-36).

“Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets’ ” (Luke 5.5).

Today, Rob shared the example of a friend of his who works in a poultry packaging factory; day after day he cuts the chicken into identical pieces, packaging the pieces of meat in the same manner time after time, standing in the same place…hour after hour after hour. I recently crossed paths with a man I had met almost four years ago who, on this particular day, was digging for pieces of aluminum in the garbage behind my apartment. He shared with me that he was thankful to God for the opportunity to make a living “digging through other people’s garbage.” When I had previously known this man, his material circumstances were better. Knowing of his past difficulty with drug dependence, I began to wonder if perhaps a relapse had led to a reversal of his fortunes. When I asked, “So are you still sober?”, he emphatically shared “I don’t need no drugs, I don’t need no dope, I don’t need no other man’s wife.” This was a man that, despite his financial difficulties, was truly thankful to God for the opportunity to make a living digging through other people’s garbage! The memory of the sincerity in this man’s conviction brings tears to my eyes. He knows who his true Father is. He knows who his true Master is.

When Rob asked us to raise our hands today at worship depending on whether or not we either like or dislike our jobs, I opted out since I’ve grown into a neutral stance regarding my current job. I say “grown” because there was a time when I didn’t believe I could take another day of my current job. I thought I would “just die” if I had to endure my current work duties any longer. An internal, mini panic attack would ensue if I allowed myself to even consider that I might end up in my current job for even as long as one year.

Do you really think that Simon always enjoyed his job as a fisherman? Have you gutted a fished lately?; pretty smelly work. I don’t recall seeing the Apostle Paul raving about his work as a tent maker anywhere in his writings. It’s rather obvious that Jesus wasn’t exactly crazy about what the Father was asking of him. Unpackaging plants (that’s part of what I do) seems very mild when compared with death on a cross and a temporary trip to hell. And even for those of you out there who are so blessed as to find your work enjoyable and meaningful most of the time, there are inevitably those tasks and those days when you’d rather avoid it all and just not have to go through with it. Right?

In the message today, Rob identified the solution to the problem of life’s discomforts (and on some occasions agonizing pain). He shared the God-perspective that his chicken-packaging friend takes into his work. Though his day-to-day work duties are often mundane and difficult to endure, he reminds himself of what it’s all for, of his position of service within the community, of his valuable role within the far bigger plans of God.

Myself, I find that I need to take greater intentionality and focus into activities that I naturally find less enjoyable. I need to consciously and regularly remind myself of who I’m actually working for. I’m not working for a very circumscribed and limited company led by people; I’m working for God; I’m working for Jesus. I need to intentionally remind myself of my most important job duties. I’m not there, first and foremost, to make money related to seemingly short-sighted company objectives; I’m there, ultimately, to serve as an example of a “little Christ” in the midst of the daily trials that are regularly experienced first-hand with my co-workers. I’m not there to build up enough savings and investments such that I can retire during this earthly lifetime; I’m there to focus on the eternal work of the soul that extends beyond this lifetime and into the next. And, just in case you’re thinking by the manner in which I’m writing that “This guy sure does seem to think he has it all figured out,” think again! Some days I’m able to keep my God-focus for about the first half-hour of my work day. Some days I can get into a rhythm that will last throughout the day. It takes work…It takes discipline…It takes surrender -- daily.

I’ll close by relating a recent God-encounter at work. I'd had a few days off, and the practice of maintaining my God-focus at work had started to recede into the background. I had arrived fifteen minutes early for my shift, and as I sat in the break room I found myself praying to God about how I’d be able to endure still more time at my job. I had been getting more involved at Spirit Garage and was finding my new focus so enjoyable that a very pronounced contrast had emerged within my mind between these more enjoyable Spirit Garage activities and my oh-so-unenjoyable retail activities. Then, as though entirely on cue, I see a co-worker approaching my table out of the corner of my eye. This co-worker had noticed me carrying my Bible into the break room a time or two, and had heard through the work rumor-mill that I was training to be a “priest.” Dismissively laughing off the inaccuracy of the rumors, I shared that, though I may end up entering a formal ministry some day, my primary purpose for studying the Bible is that I’ve come to depend on my relationship with God and a spiritual perspective for the daily living of a balanced life. I also shared that I had at one point “bottomed-out” in alcoholism, and that I could not have recovered without my spiritual foundation. My co-worker then hinted that she too has a problem with alcohol, and that she has experienced desperation in this regard. She shared that she attends a Catholic service on a weekly basis. It was apparent that this woman is in need of help, but that she is afraid and not sure how to proceed. I offered what she seemed ready for at the time -- an invitation to accompany her to a 12-Step meeting and an invitation to attend worship at Spirit Garage. She wasn’t yet ready to take further action, but now she knows that I’m there and that I’m willing to help her take the next step when she’s ready. Most importantly, in this seemingly insignificant encounter, at this seemingly insignificant job, on a day when I was crying out to God that I just might not be able to endure any longer, he blessed me with the opportunity to see the eternal that awaits my attention each and every moment of each and every day…if only I‘m willing.

Lord Jesus, thank you for making each of my days eternal, each of my actions eternal, and, yes, even each of my job functions eternal. Help me to see beyond the mundane, beyond the unenyoyable and uncomfortable, to you. Help me to no longer mistake the map for the topography. Help me to embrace your always present eternal purpose. Help me to always keep in mind the words of the Apostle Paul that “all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Romans 8.28-30).

Something better is present…if only we’re willing.

Amen.