What's the hurry?

I was driving along Ryde Road when a car came up fast behind me. You know the type: aggressive, close to your bumper, trying to force you to change lanes. I have long experienced this from young male drivers, but this was from a lady in her sixties!

I realised that there is something wrong with our culture. What was once the norm for young men with too much testosterone and little self-control is now mainstream. I wondered what was happening. So here are some of my thoughts.

1) Our view of time

“The clock is ticking”

The clock and the calendar dictate our lives. We constantly study them to tell us what to do. Why? It’s because we see time as organisation. If we manage it well, then there is so much that we can achieve.

Now if you’re like me, you’ll feel that the pace of life has increased. The truth is that it’s not the work hours and demands of family that have changed, it’s number of networks we now belong to that has increased. The pressure to interact, complete projects and meet commitments is now demanded in multiple domains.

So time becomes precious. In fact, it becomes a commodity, which you can place a price, save or waste. If you lose time, you don’t get it back. So we speed the treadmill up, uncertain of where we are mean to arrive.

We are aware that time is getting away from us. More than that, we live in fear of ageing. We try to defy ageing (which is defying time) whilst trying to manage it.

 
So what’s the answer? We need to view time from God’s perspective.

Life is a continuous linear redemptive process, That is, we are moving forward, but there is a destination. The kingdom of God is the domain that should shape our time. In fact, Jesus places it as the priority for our time management (Matthew 6:33-34).

The Bible is very interested in time. It speaks of the days and years of our lives (Ecclesiastes 3:1-14), of the final day (Malachi 3-4) and the eternity after (Revelation 21-22). That said, the Bible doesn’t provide tips on time management. Strange, you may think?

 It’s because time is controlled by God. Ephesians 1:9-10 speak of the times reaching their fulfilment. There is a purpose that Jesus fulfils. Now because He is in control, He calls us to holy living. I can’t justify my anger, intimidation or frustration because you wasted my time. It’s God’s time, and He knows where it is heading. So time is an opportunity to be godly. Even when I am stressed and staring at a deadline, the priority is godliness. That is what we are meant to manage.

Sex, sex, sex

Sex is incredibly important in our current culture. We have tied it to our identity and the concept of individual freedom. The upshot is that we have the right to express our sexuality and explore sexual experiences.

 

As Christians we disagree. This of course gets us into trouble with our community.

So why can’t people do what they like when it comes to sex?

1) Purpose

Sex is about a unique union between one man and one woman. This union involves
emotional, behavioural, intellectual, physical, and spiritual aspects. Sex is part of it. It promotes a healthy relationship in the marriage.

Sexual freedom can pull the oneness of the unit apart.

So the purpose is not self-gratification. The goal is one flesh.

2) Priorities

My identity is important and so is my freedom, but surely they are trumped by love. To be perfectly frank, the way people engage in casual sex is abusive. It doesn't matter who the other person is or if they want what we want, they just need to deliver.

3) Created order

We are made in the image of God. That means, we are relational beings first and foremost. That’s why it’s possible to choose abstinence. Sex is not the core of our being, relationships with God, each other and our environment is.

4) Worship

More important that self-gratification is the self-giving surrender to God (Romans 12:1-2). Our worship is in our choice to flee sexual immorality and embrace godly actions and relationships.

I hope you noticed that as a Christian I am not against sex. In fact, I'm very much for it. The Bible sees it as a good gift from God (1 Tim 4:4-5) that should be enjoyed regularly (1 Cor 7:1-6). What I'm arguing is that sex has it's place and when used correctly can enhance a relationship.

Bushfires in NSW

As I went outside today I caught a throat full of smoke. The sun was an amazing orange colour.
I hadn't seen this for many years. In fact, these bushfires could be amongst the worst our state has seen.

It is bewildering to consider the devastation that has occurred and could occur if the fire fronts merge.
It's only as a piece of soot falls next to me as I walk towards the local primary school that I realise these fires are not under control.

And that is frightening to us. We place ourselves in contexts where we can determine the outcome, where our input has a direct impact on the results. We see ourselves as those who can overcome and any hurdle. Humanity has the ability to conquer anything.

And yet natural disasters bring this philosophy crashing to the ground. It is one thing to control an office staff, it's another to qwell an earthquake or extinguish a fire. It's only in this context the we recognise our limitations.

The current bushfires tell us that there are things that make us afraid because they can be more powerful than we are. They ought to push us to seek assistance. In fact, natural disasters should lead to prayer.

So can I ask for you to pray for the bushfires in NSW and any natural disaster you hear of?
Pray-
that God would end whatever the catastrophe is
that God would use the emergency agencies to restore order
that God would bring comfort to those who have lost
that God would offer hope and lift our eyes to see a place where disaster will never strike