SHEEP GONE WILD
DAY 74: As a stay at home mom, I had a hundred conversations with my friends over the years about how to find time with God in the midst of raising kids. As a working mom, I didn't have time to have conversations with my friends about how to fit God into the mix. In every season of life for any person, not just moms and not just those with kids, it is a struggle to keep the main thing, the main thing when everything wants to be the main thing.
Eventually I discovered a secret: The more I try to "fit God in" to the business of my life, the more He winds up on the outside. My life will never surrender time to God. It is usually a life gone wild. So the key, at least for me, was changing my perspective: Instead of fitting God in my life, my life had to fit in around God. If anything is going to get left over, it shouldn't be the eternal things.
Today I saw a group of guys who must have operated under that philosophy. They might have been men, but I still have a lot in common as they too had a flock to take care of: they were shepherds. And some pretty amazing things were happening not too far from where they were tending their sheep.
Luke 2 In the city of Bethlehem "(Mary) gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."
Little did these very busy shepherds realize how their lives were going to be impacted. There, in the middle of their work night, things took a very unexpected turn.
9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
There was no denying that this was God at work. After the angels perform a spontaneous cantata praising God, the shepherds make a decision.
15 ...the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.
The angels had not specifically instructed them to immediately leave their responsibilities and go at once. No one forced them to make seeking out the baby their top priority. Logically, it could be argued that they should wait until morning when they could get help with the herd, or at least leave them at a safer daylight hour. They could have passed the information on so that someone else could go since they were pretty busy with legitimate responsibilities. They could have waited to fit this God-thing into their lives. Who would blame them? But. . .
"THEY CAME IN A HURRY. . ."
They didn't wait. They didn't "fit it in." They saw God at work. They saw an opportunity to pursue God. Life would have to fit in around that. I don't know if they took the sheep with them, or if they got a sheep-sitter, but they went straight away in pursuit of the main thing. If that weren't enough, once they saw the child exactly as the angels had described, the took the time to tell others about it.
18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.
I like to picture them wandering through the streets with a chaotic flock of sheep gone wild running around them. It reminds me of how it must look to others as a mom or a dad fits in a busy crazy life while running after God. But those wild sheep could be anything we have to set aside- or get a sitter for - or drag along with us - in any season of life.
Our life might look messier than the person who takes care of business first and then gives God some what "fits in" in the leftover time. But looks can be deceiving. Those who "hurry" to God, going "straight" to Him first, may look messy on the outside, but they have a peace and order and purpose on the inside that cannot be denied no matter how the sheep go wild.
Day 75 of 365
Numbers 24
Numbers 25
Luke 2:1-35
Psalm 59:1-17
Proverbs 11:14
Eventually I discovered a secret: The more I try to "fit God in" to the business of my life, the more He winds up on the outside. My life will never surrender time to God. It is usually a life gone wild. So the key, at least for me, was changing my perspective: Instead of fitting God in my life, my life had to fit in around God. If anything is going to get left over, it shouldn't be the eternal things.
Luke 2 In the city of Bethlehem "(Mary) gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."
Little did these very busy shepherds realize how their lives were going to be impacted. There, in the middle of their work night, things took a very unexpected turn.
9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
There was no denying that this was God at work. After the angels perform a spontaneous cantata praising God, the shepherds make a decision.
15 ...the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.
The angels had not specifically instructed them to immediately leave their responsibilities and go at once. No one forced them to make seeking out the baby their top priority. Logically, it could be argued that they should wait until morning when they could get help with the herd, or at least leave them at a safer daylight hour. They could have passed the information on so that someone else could go since they were pretty busy with legitimate responsibilities. They could have waited to fit this God-thing into their lives. Who would blame them? But. . .
"THEY CAME IN A HURRY. . ."
They didn't wait. They didn't "fit it in." They saw God at work. They saw an opportunity to pursue God. Life would have to fit in around that. I don't know if they took the sheep with them, or if they got a sheep-sitter, but they went straight away in pursuit of the main thing. If that weren't enough, once they saw the child exactly as the angels had described, the took the time to tell others about it.
18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.
It's rare to keep everything in perfect order
while fitting a busy life in around our passionate pursuit of Christ as the main thing.
Our life might look messier than the person who takes care of business first and then gives God some what "fits in" in the leftover time. But looks can be deceiving. Those who "hurry" to God, going "straight" to Him first, may look messy on the outside, but they have a peace and order and purpose on the inside that cannot be denied no matter how the sheep go wild.
Day 75 of 365
Numbers 24
Numbers 25
Luke 2:1-35
Psalm 59:1-17
Proverbs 11:14
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