Privileged

Hello and amazing grace to you, the unique Beloved Family! 

Last night, I was talking to a good friend, and the subject matter of, “distraction,” came up in our time together. He is a working man with a family, doing the best to live an authentic Kingdom life, and deeply loves Jesus. He admitted to me that he was struggling lately to make himself regularly available for personal, quiet time with the Lord. Even as he was speaking, I felt that familiar awareness rise up in my own soul that told me that I needed to consider this for my own life. I am sure many folks think that we ministers just get to sit around thinking about Jesus and reading the Bible all day… but that is obviously a false narrative. To be honest, at this stage of my life, I am finding that I am currently in the hardest season of my life to be rigorously disciplined in that commitment to have a specific and undistracted time for quiet fellowship with Jesus. Just being transparent…

I think, many times, we justify this reality with thinking, “well, I am DOING a bunch of good things for God… doesn’t that count the same way…?” The simple answer is, no. Doing things for God is not the same as spending time with God. It would be like thinking that, “I go to work ALL day… I work overtime… I do not spend much money…. I make sure Kay has a nice car and things… I don’t ask for much… Kay should just KNOW I love her and that we are intimately connected!” Totally not so, Beloved. Doing things FOR Kay is not the same as just being with her, enjoying her, fellowshipping with her, communicating with her, learning her ways and thoughts, hearing her heart, knowing her dreams and desires, and just doing life together with her. She may value and appreciate what I can do for her and what I can give her… but she married me for me. The same is true with Jesus.

Yes, of course, our gifts of time, money, affection, praise, and service are all pleasing to Him. Yes, He values and appreciates, literally, EVERYTHING we do for Him from a pure heart. Yes, He is intimately aware of all the many demands on our lives. Yet, He still just wants to BE WITH us. Think about that for a second, the Creator of the Universe, the King of all kings, the most powerful God in all the universe and beyond… just wants to spend time alone, quietly with you so both of you can become closer in relationship. That is such a radical thought for me, even now, nearly forty-two years after meeting Him personally. And, instead of fully embracing this radical reality, we are distracted by a glowing screen or an insignificant task. Say it ain’t so…

Luke 10:38-42 (TPT)
As Jesus and the disciples continued on their journey, they came to a village where a woman welcomed Jesus into her home. Her name was Martha and she had a sister named Mary. Mary sat down attentively before the Master, absorbing every revelation he shared. But Martha became exasperated with finishing the numerous household chores in preparation for her guests, so she interrupted Jesus and said, “Lord, don’t you think it’s unfair that my sister left me to do all the work by myself? You should tell her to get up and help me.” The Lord answered her, “Martha, my beloved Martha. Why are you upset and troubled, pulled away by all these many distractions? Mary has discovered the one thing most important by choosing to sit at my feet. She is undistracted, and I won’t take this privilege from her.”

Notice that the Lord specifically called sitting at His feet, with a quiet listening heart, in an undistracted way… “a privilege.”

Is that how we view it? Likely not, based on our lifestyles and the usage of our three most important assets: Time, Affection, and Money.

Notice that it was Martha who invited the Lord into the home. Just as we are the one who invite Jesus in to save our lives, take up residence in the home of our heart, and submit the temple of our bodies to His holy service… so was Martha the initiating entity. Yet, here is that aggravating and annoying little sister just sitting there, enjoying and being ministered to by the Lord! How dare her take advantage of the situation when there is so much busy-work that, “should,” be done! Martha is like our flesh that is always looking for more and more to do and have. Martha-flesh will continually look for things to fill the calendar; important things, of course, that will make everyone notice how good she is at doing the stuff and things. Then, the Martha-flesh will quickly and viciously condemn the Mary-spirit that just would rather sit at Jesus’ feet in intimacy. Martha-flesh feels TOTALLY justified and righteous in her complaints and position as she brings her whine-prayer unto the Lord. The Lord, without hesitation, brings correction through a realignment of Kingdom priorities that Martha-flesh was distracted from.

We have been in a “pandemic” (scam-demic) for almost twenty-two months now. We have seen families obliterated through unnecessary death, vitriolic political differences, wheels-off racism and racist accusations, children being molested by government mandate and dis-education while being  groomed by school officials and board members, rewriting history with the complimentary statue destruction attached, “good” people turn vile and unashamedly wicked, forced muzzling and separation of society in the name of (false) science, open crimes against humanity, peaceful fiery destruction of cities by looters and progressive fascists, gender dysphoria and mental disease being renamed as, “the new normal,” governments turn to full-fledge, open, and bold tyranny without apology, people forced from their jobs and businesses by lies and unconstitutional activities, healthcare and frontline workers going from national heroes to flushable zeros, experimental drugs (poison) being forced upon the world’s population in a, “comply or die,” mantra, a faux president after a faux election, the ever changing variant terror introduction with every changing election cycle, and then all the regular parts of life that still never went away just because the world went literally, loony-bin, padded-room, covid-logic crazy. All that to say, we have all been tempted to be a tad bit distracted. Is that an understatement or what?!

I have been. Fighting the federal government, pastoring through the most unprecedented time ever, church splits, being a national whipping boy of incessant attacks, the ever-changing targets of fear-inducing lies to combat, ministering to people and families who are being intentionally obliterated,  wife and kids (WHOA!), speaking at rallies and conferences, and all the other hobbies (like going to multiple countries and a dozen-ish states to minister the Finished Work of the Cross with the Holy Cause of Liberty close behind). Did I say I have had a bunch of opportunities to be distracted?

Do we have the right, yes… do we have the excuse, yes… can we afford to be? NO!

Know Jesus, know life. No Jesus, no life.

Now, more than ever, we need to be with our Beloved Family. We need to be in our quiet place. We need to be filling our heart with the precious Word of God. We need to be focused on the eternal and important, not the temporal and fleeting things.

Hebrews 10:25
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some [is]; but exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Notice: “much the more, as you see the day approaching”!

We should be more intentional about not being distracted in this time, not less intentional. Let us commit together to this high calling of intimacy. I will be more focused and less distracted with you, and we will find that the group of people sitting at His feet will grow day-by-day.

I love you deeply and I will meet you at His feet!
Steve