Recently I have been hit fairly hard by my flaws that were previously unacknowledged. Things have surfaced that I was not aware of and it is quite frustrating. As a follower of Christ I understand that by no means have I arrived or attained complete maturity, but I thought I had accomplished or shall I say by God's grace put foolish things aside. So as these new problems have risen I thought about that phrase "take it easy," and how many of the impurities I have are connected to it's lackluster mentality. It is easy for laziness to come under the banner of Christian freedom. For many of us Paul's case for freedom is used to justify our pursuit of leisure or lack of structure/discipline. I find I am easily pleased by entertainment that allows me to escape to a dazed world where I do not have to wrestle with my faults. A numbing experience pushing off all thoughts, concerns, and engagement with reality. Escapism at its finest.
So I no longer use the phrase "take it easy" but rather "be wise." With this phrase, I am able to throw it out there to anyone, but hopefully with a little reflection the weight of it will connect to people's lives. In the First Covenant Jews saw God as creator of this world yet holy and separate from it, but they also understood he was actively involved in it. One way they conveyed this message of his involvement in our lives was wisdom. As seen throughout Proverbs where wisdom is personified as a woman calling out for hearers. As I leave people now I do not propagate easy living, and mediocre pursuits, but a call to seek wisdom, and ultimately to follow the Jesus, wisdom in the flesh. Hopefully this phrase will become an attitude and no longer will I seek to dodge my reality but by grace will discipline myself to work hard, stay focused, and to live in the presence of Jesus.
Be wise.
