By David Phillips
Essential
This has become an important word. Only those who provide “essential services” can go to work outside the home. “Essential retailers” are now limited to no more than 50% of normal occupancy. Every person in our state is ordered to stay at home except to perform “essential activities.” Though the Governor issued a partial list defining “essential businesses”, the rules are far from clear. What, or who is really essential?
Several weeks ago, long before this current flu virus dilemma started, I sent myself a text message about an idea for a sermon subject. That’s a habit of mine, and if someone ever finds my smart phone and looks at the text message log, they’ll be puzzled by the mysterious messages sent to a recipient labeled as “Me”, that are mostly one line or a couple of words, or a set of measurements. 8” center, 10” swing. 155 Yaeger Rd. Boundaries of Reality. VF3500. Bandsaw 143”. Essentials for Christ. Okay, the sermon can wait; since essential has become such a hot topic, let’s think about that right now. What should be on our list of Essentials for Christ?
Faithfulness. There’s a term that could include a host of aspects, but let’s think about it from the angle of remaining, or staying power. Our current circumstances could be such that they influence us to waver in our faithfulness to the Lord. The inability to assemble for worship, a lack of normal fellowship, physical separation from other Christians, and other such things are going to have an effect on our spiritual steadfastness if we are not very careful. Added to that would be the increased time spent with TV, Netflix or just plain Internet browsing and the exposure to “entertainment” that is less than wholesome. In times like this, there are a lot of hazards to our faithfulness.
Growth. Peter identifies the food that we all need in order to grow in 1 Peter 2:2- as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. That’s not instruction exclusively for new converts- we all should have a desire, a thirst for the word. In view of all that is going on in our world, there is no better time than now to feed our spiritual self with the life-giving word of God.
Humility. Right now, it is very tempting to see only ourselves, our interests, our survival as important. In fact, I think I’ve seen more selfishness on parade in the last two weeks than I have in a long time. Philippians 2:3-4 offers us some great counsel for these trying times: Do nothing from selfishness or vain conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Intention. This word basically means purpose. It is tempting, in the midst of all this disruption around us, to just sit back and relax, coasting along, as it were. Going with the flow. As God’s children, our lives have great purpose. Go about your days with intention that is aimed higher than just wasting time, or “coasting along”. If you wonder how important intent is, remember what is said of the word of God: …quick and powerful, sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
Joy. What’s joyful about all this mess? Nothing. Not a single, solitary thing. The joy is not to be found in the mess, but in you and me. We are to live with joy IN SPITE of this mess. Our joy is not rooted in our circumstances or even our surroundings, but rather in our Lord. Psalm 35:9- And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in His salvation.
You may not be essential according to the Governor, but we are to God, and a lot of essential things should fill our hearts. Have a good week.