I do want to apologize for not posting this last night. The reason for not posting was that my son, along with his music fraternity, was performing on campus and this momma just had to be there! I think you know what I'm talking about. It was a very special performance at that! My son's girlfriend and her music sorority also performed. Then the two groups performed together in memorial to a member of the fraternity who was tragically taken away just a little over a week ago in a traffic accident. What a special night.
I want to take a common thought in Judaism and bring it into this lesson before going any further. It is the same thought process we have in America, yet we say it backwards from the Jews. They say, "One step back in order to take two steps forward," and that is my point today. I want to take one step back for a moment in order that we may take two or more steps forward in our thinking.
I want you to stop and think about the meaning of endurance for a moment. Endurance is ambition or energy that comes from within and will stop at nothing to achieve its goals. The trouble with endurance is that we MUST look at it within our lives to ensure each thing we are enduring about is productive and not just for the sake of business. I am going to throw in a myth buster for you here: "Idle hands are the devils workshop" IS NOT found in the Bible. Are you devastated? Sorry, that is just another wives' tale. Let's talk about endurance for a moment.
Think about the things you do that you are most passionate about. Get real about it. I am not talking about things such as feeding the hungry or leading people to Christ. Get outside the Bible for a moment. We are passionate about many things - or shall we say energetic to the point of non-stop till we have achieved a goal about many things. Let me give you some examples: collecting, getting rid of all the dandelions in our yard, tanning, visiting all 50 states, housecleaning, bathing, shoes or clothes, eating, having a house in a certain subdivision, a designated amount of money in the bank, etc.
Make a list of ALL the things you are enduring about. Now, out beside each of those things, make a check mark by the things that have eternal value or an X by the things that have only earthly value. I want to pass on to you something that has stuck with me for years. I heard a woman speak at a women's event about 20 years ago. She was talking about her own mother and said when she was growing up her mother was obsessed with a clean house. She related how her mother never had time for the children. When the children were grown the mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer and while fighting for her life, told the daughter how a spotlessly clean house wasn't so important anymore. She also related how much the mother regretted spending so much time on the house instead of with her family throughout her lifetime.
I don't want you to misunderstand what I am saying, because we must clean our houses. There are many, many things we must do on a daily basis. In fact many of the things I listed above in the examples of things we are passionate about are necessities, but should we be obsessive about them to the point of endurance? This is where I want you to take a GOOD LONG assessment of your life and the things you do every day.
Now bring into play our Counting of the Omer for the day with Gevurah of Netzach or Discipline of Endurance. Are you enduring over things that have no eternal value? Then take those things and place boundaries on them. Do not keep these as high energy priorities. Do what is necessary, but don't try to rationalize them as a priority when they aren't. Can you take them into Paradise with you, will you receive a reward for them, will they change someone else's life or are you willing to give your life for them? If so keep on keeping on in them. If not, then place them low on the priority list.
Do you have NO endurance over the things that DO have eternal value? Is there nothing you will take into Paradise with you, receive a reward for, change someone else's life with or that you are willing to give your life for? Maybe you need to reassess your priorities. Maybe you need to reassess your relationship with the One and Only. Do you know Him, Yeshua and the Father, God?
This has been a little longer than I had intended it to be, but there are times we need a little explanation. I have some reassessing to do myself. Until tomorrow, Shalom!~~~~~~~~~~~~
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