After returning from a weekend retreat, I am occupied with thoughts of being splayed in a maze, with different parts of me asking different questions. Questions which I thought I had answers for: What do you do for a living? Where do you live? What’s in your future?
“Do not boast about tomorrow.”
Every day is a passage to tomorrow. Are there things in our lives hindering us in our desire to be less stressed about our futures? What are some of the things we can do today, to prevent chaos tomorrow?
I have often been accused of being negative. (Read my weblog, and I guess it could be construed in that way.) I prefer to think of myself as a realist. Sometimes we have the tendency to mask our problems, issues, fears and doubts with a veneer of joy. Yes, there is genuine joy, but accountability when in fellowship goes out the window when confronted with reminders of the closet skeletons. I find that it prevents us from being genuine and open with one another.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the occasional playful banter. But if the goofiness permeates our thought and actions, leading to judging others, gossip, coarse joking…well, you get the idea. Things then tend to go downhill from there. Let’s make the effort to be more open, and not fear confronting some of the things which hinder our walk. And sharing — how often do we share our genuine burdens?
Yes, we have a hope and a future, if we know the Lord. But if things in our life prevent us from enjoying it to the full in a genuine way, without the public masks, then we should examine ourselves (more than others) and pray for guidance and wisdom in dealing with our little thorns and trinkets in the closet we hold so dear and need to let go of.