Waiting To Live by Maxie Dunnam

It is true that most of us spend our lives waiting to live. We see today as such a mundane time, so insignificant, so unexciting. But once we change our focus and begin to encounter the events of today with vitality and purpose, all sorts of changes take place. This is especially true in our personal relationships. The people we are with now, they are the people. When we give ourselves to them, the depth of the encounter baptizes the whole relationship with meaning.

Shattering the Sacred and Secular Divide

Here is the point at which the false division between sacred and secular can be shattered. If we change our focus to now, we can see today as a holy day; we can approach every relationship as though God had something new and meaningful to offer us. When we are focused on the past or future, we are never where God’s action is. God acts now, today, and he acts in all the affairs of life. We are his agents of action. In this encounter we may be planting a seed, in this one cultivating, in this one harvesting, in this one watering or fertilizing. This situation may be a part of our preparation for some other event; this one may be simply a time to share hope; this one may be for the purpose of shocking us into deeper sensitivity. If we live this day as the day, the secular/sacred conflict dissolves and the possibilities of God’s reconciling, redemptive work present themselves.

Jesus’ consistent call to ‘be ready’ for the Son of Man yields this now-living fruit.  Putting the future in its proper place while dealing with the past as it passes allows us to be here, now, today in a way we are ready to serve His will.  Or as Matthew records, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

What Are You Waiting For?

I’m aware that now-living is easier to talk about than to practice. Ministers are easy prey to the enticement of tomorrow. We have such a variety of relationships and are called upon to enter into so many situations of varying importance. It is so easy to pass through one experience simply because we have to, knowing that the next experience will be more interesting; easy to glide through one personal interview without too much intensity, knowing that the next one will offer you depth. To the degree that we become victims of this snare– to that degree we fail ourselves and those we are called to minister.

Seek first the Kingdom! Be in this moment! Be with those who surround you now.  What are you waiting for?