Funny how the stuff of life can affect us so much. For example: what home life was like before we left for work, what the commute was like on the way to work, what morale is like now that we get to work, what is waiting for us to do for work.
We are a sum component of so much…stuff.
Maybe we need to truly ask ourselves the good ol’ actor’s pondering: “What’s my motivation?” Is it the stuff–even the good stuff? For so long, I think my motivation was truly to obey God’s rules and receive a good life in return. Focus on the stuff and where it all played out. Be a good Christian guy, husband, father, servant. It was done with sincere intention, to be that approved workman.
Fast forward to a “mid-life season,” which built up during my thirties and culminated about nine years ago, when I was about 40. Gnawing emptiness led to a full-blown identity crisis, “in Jesus”. It was the Point of No Return. Was this what it was all about–to behave well, work well, serve well, be honest on taxes, and convince others to do the same? How could this not be correct, right? Then why did it feel so empty?
Let me cut to the chase, that I am still processing through, nearly a decade later. It wasn’t that I was wrong in my desired outcomes. But I was “way wrong” on my motivation. Jesus said the most important commandments were simple: Love God and Love Others (Mt. 22:37). Everything else depends on those two things, said Jesus, and only those. Not the other way around.
If you would like to talk with me on these or any other thoughts, I am available to you! Simply call, text, or email, and let me know. In the meantime, may our love for God and your others consume your mind, your heart, and our actions today.
-Greg