Vander's Thoughts

Vander's Thoughts

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Buzzed

Man life can really make us busy. I know this all too well, so lately I’ve been trying to be better at time management and making sure that I am keeping my priorities in line with my responsibilities. The problem is I’m always getting buzzed. Wait, before you assume the worst let me explain.

Because we live in a technologically advanced world it is easier for me to keep track of all that I am supposed to do. I can schedule my calendar to remind me that I have an appointment or there is something to do – Buzz. I can receive my emails right to my iPhone so that no matter where I am I can stay in the loop – Buzz. People who need to tell me something can text me and get my attention at any time – Buzz. I can even set my phone to silent in case I’m busy with another person when someone tries to call me – Buzz. You see I keep getting buzzed! And with each buzz I am reminded that I have more and more to do and less and less time to get it all done. This ultimately leads to the problem I have in the first place that caused me to work on my time management.

Now it has been suggested that we should all just turn off our cell phones and go back to the age of snail mail and Morse code, but all that will do is make life boring again. And besides I like having easy access to everything and being able to look up useless information any time I want. That’s not what makes me busy, I make myself busy with my lack of discipline. You see busyness isn’t always a condition of productivity; it can be the results of ineffective living. Because sometimes being busy means accomplishing absolutely nothing.

Basically Paul says about the same thing to the church in Thessalonica, busyness is pretty much doing a whole lot of nothing.

2 Thessalonians 3:11 - We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies.

That’s why God instructs us to rest regularly to make sure our busyness isn’t getting the best of us, but He is. When was the last time you unplugged to seek His priorities for your life? Rest in Him and get over your buzz.

Hebrews 4:9-11- There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

One Word

One Word

It’s that time of year again when we look back on our lives and make a decision to change some things. Perhaps all the things that we wished we would have done or realized we should have done or stopped doing or started doing all to improve our lives.

This past weekend I heard an intriguing message at my church that dealt with a new concept of New Years change called One Word. They idea is simple, instead of making a New Years resolution and change only one thing in your life, focus on One Word that could actually change everything in your life.

I really don’t know how many times I have a made a resolution to change, but I’m pretty sure I’ve been successful exactly 0% of the time. That’s’ why I’m so intrigued by One Word because it just might actually work. Maybe your struggling with your weight, well instead of resolving to eat better, your One Word may be ‘Healthy’. Therefore instead of just changing your eating habits, you focus on everything that makes your life healthy and just maybe for the first time you actually achieve the weight that you have always wanted.

My word for 2011 is ‘Truth’. It’s not because I have a problem with lying or anything, but my hope is that I can pursue truth in my life like never before. I want to dedicate myself to seeking God’s truth everyday in His word, I want to live His truth everyday of my life, and I want to speak the truth to others no matter how hard or at what cost. For me I want 2011 to be a year where living in the truth of God’s word will change my habits, my relationships and most importantly change me for the better.

What’s your One Word that will change everything in 2011?