Day 223 – Straight Shooting
Scripture focus: Let me give you some good advice; I’m looking you in the eye and giving it to you straight: “Don’t be ornery like a horse or mule that needs bit and bridle to stay on track.” Psalm 32:8-9 The Message
Today I want to join with the psalmist and shoot straight – we often behave like an ornery horse or mule. We must get serious about our predisposition to forget God and ignore his voice. Come on, you know this about yourself, don’t you? Every day we have choices to make – either to step as God speaks or blaze our own trail. When we’re sitting at a stoplight late for our next meeting, and the driver in front of us is distracted with a phone call or mocha latte and sits right through the green arrow that would shoot us toward our next task – we have a choice. We can fuss and fume, make gestures and blow horns, or we can pause to prepare. We can blame this bad driver for our tardy arrival, or we can accept responsibility for not leaving a little early to compensate for the inevitable red lights and distracted drivers. Some task or assignment that should have been easy will unexpectedly turn frustrating. We can decide to blow a gasket or calmly remind ourselves that life isn’t easy. We can fume about the problem, or pray about a solution. We have choices. And if we don’t learn how to follow, Psalm 32 reminds us that we might find ourselves being led by bit and bridle. We might get our license yanked for reckless driving (for the umpteenth time) or get fired because we’re too ornery to work with. These consequences are the metaphorical bits and bridles of our day. How can we avoid the bit and bridle?
My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. Galatians 5:16-17 The Message
Walk – live – Greek word is peripateo – to habitually walk around in one general vicinity; a person who has walked in one region for so long that it has now become his environment, his place of daily activity, the sphere that encircles his existence… In Galatians, the apostle Paul tells us to live, or walk in some translations – by God’s spirit. I love this Greek word. Notice the definition. It means to habitually walk around in one area so long that it becomes home. At first, this region won’t feel comfortable. We’ll long for the old familiar sights, sounds and smells of our former dwelling. But if we walk around habitually, daily, and long enough – soon this new way of living will become as comfortable as an old shoe.
* We begin taking personal responsibility for our schedules and not living in denial about how long it takes to get from point A to point B. If we want to show up to meetings on time, we’ll leave in time to achieve that goal. Maybe we’ll be the first one there. That might give us time to settle in and pick a comfortable seat. We can calm our nerves, review our notes, maybe even stop and order our favorite coffee to take with us.
* When a task turns frustrating, we don’t waste time on foolish questions like “Why me?” We expect frustration, and plan accordingly. We begin our assignments well in advance of deadlines. We network and ask for help when a solution doesn’t present itself. We don’t allow one bad break to define our day. We not only expect problems, we anticipate them as opportunities to stretch ourselves! We must learn to walk by God’s Spirit. Yes, it will feel weird. But it’s worth it. It is the home of freedom.
Recommended reading: Ezra 10 and Proverbs 21 in the morning; 1 Corinthians 6 in the evening
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