Thursday, January 29, 2009

Take It Easy

For a while now I have ended conversations with friends, family, and strangers with the common phrase "take it easy." It was casual and something other than bye-bye. 

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.

7 comments:

  1. I love you and your desire to follow Jesus and abandon the usual mediocre mentality and lifestyle that is so easy to settle for. You have my heart.

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  2. my favorite conversation ender is "ya huurd me?"

    i think it really captures the depth of the words that just came out of my mouth...

    ya huurd me?

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  3. hey randy jr., update

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  4. first of all, i did not know that you had a blog...and was pleasingly surprised to see that you do. second, my favorite convo ender will always be "be careful, be safe". third, good thoughts!

    the easy way is the cheesy way

    what a good reminder to keep focused

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  5. i am on the edge of my seat waiting for the next post in this incredible series...

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  6. Keep writing because I am reading!!! I needed that!

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  7. im pretty sure when you have a blog... your supposed to write atleast every 6 months!!

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