Spiritual Inefficiency
John 13:17,
Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Have you ever noticed either yourself or someone else’s inability to remain spiritual when doing certain activities? For example, we can be all spiritual in a prayer meeting, but what about when we are driving our car home from that very same prayer meeting? We can be spiritual in a fellowship of Christians, but what about when we are in a group of movie goers?
Spiritual activities naturally and supernaturally lend themselves to maintaining one’s personal spirituality at that time, but when we’re confronted by a very common, boring, or repetitive activity…like driving, or waiting for the bus…our spirituality tends to slip down and away from us a few notches. We can all maintain a spiritual life at home, in the church, and in those Christian circles of friends, but it’s the normal and, dare I say, actual life, where we are most apt to fall victim to spiritual inefficiency. We are quickly bored with the mundane activities, and we let our spirituality wane or taper off. We get involved in a repetitive activity such as washing the dishes, or walking the same route home, and our spirituality wanders down a different route. We begin to think about ‘more important things.’
Silas Shotwell, in the publication Homemade, September, 1987 had this to say about a father and son going fishing:
Charles Francis Adams, 19th century political figure and diplomat, kept a diary. One day he entered: "Went fishing with my son today--a day wasted." His son, Brook Adams, also kept a diary, which is still in existence. On that same day, Brook Adams made this entry: "Went fishing with my father--the most wonderful day of my life!" The father thought he was wasting his time while fishing with his son, but his son saw it as an investment of time. The only way to tell the difference between wasting and investing is to know one’s ultimate purpose in life and to judge accordingly.
I want to spend a little time today, and speak about spiritual inefficiency. And, to understand inefficiency, it’s best to simply define efficiency:
Efficiency: doing things right.
In the world of management and leadership, the word efficiency is often accompanied by another word and that word is effectiveness.
Efficiency: doing things right.
Effectiveness: doing the right things.
Now, if you’ve got it all worked out and there doesn’t seem to be any laziness in your normal, actual life, then you’ve got my permission to sit there quietly, take notes, and give them to someone that you know that may really need to know about the spiritual inefficiency in their life.
Let’s get started.
I want to set before us a question. I want to present it before we get to our main points so that those points may be able to disclose an area in which we’re complacent. Our points are going to try and provide answers to this question, so that we may apply it to our lives or help someone whose spiritual inefficiency may be overshadowing their lives.
Am I investing for my spiritual future?
Now, what exactly does that mean? It sounds more like line for a mutual funds advertisement than a message on spiritual efficiency.
Think about this way, then. How am I allowing God to operate through every aspect of my life?
Am I investing for my spiritual future? Do I let God control my speech and actions at church, of course I do. And, do I let God control my speech and actions at work? Hmm?
Am I investing for my spiritual future? Do I let God control my time that I spend at church, of course I do. And, do I let God control my time at home? Hmm?
Am I investing for my spiritual future? Do I let God control the amount of time I put into ministries, discipling, fellowship, reading the Bible, praising and worshiping Him, watching TV, relaxing, traveling, working, talking, text messaging, playing games, and on, and on?
I asked this one question recently, “Who is the greatest person in your life that had a secular job?” Jesus!
Jesus had a secular job, lived in a secular world, did secular, mundane things and still He was sinless. Let’s look to Him and see just He went about:
Setting the Example
Mark Twain once said that, “Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.”
We all know that we are human, though I’ve been beginning to question that lately…and, because we are human, there are going to be some emotions that are going to creep in when that good example is staring us in the face. The overweight person is annoyed by the slender person telling them how easy it is to work out…right. The person of average intelligence may be a little irritated at the math wiz telling them how easy it was to balance their check book, or figure out the interest on their stocks or certificates. The layman may be slightly bothered when the music aficionado, i.e. addict, tries to tell them the difference between a full note and a quarter note.
These do not fall under the title of ‘setting the example,’ rather they may fall under the title of showing off, or flaunting one’s God-given talents and gifts at the expense of another.
Additionally, we must be very careful not to fall victim to believing that spiritual efficiency is a result of expressions, experiences, and emotions. Jesus specifically points this out in scripture when He mentioned in Matthew 7:21,
"Not everyone who says to me, ’Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Simply expressing His name, simply experiencing a miracle, and simply being all emotional because someone else had something wonderful happen to them doesn’t mean we are personally investing for our own spiritual future. Jesus is infinitely bigger than any of my experiences, but, if in my experiences I am coming to know Him better, then the expression should come out in my life through the fruit of the Spirit, shouldn’t it? The reason I say this is because the fruit of the Spirit is the exact representation of the disposition of Jesus in my life…love, joy, peace…
(Deuteronomy 11:18) Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
In the heart and mind, for personal edification, on the hands for service to God, and on the forehead as an example before others.
When you invest for your spiritual future, you are allowing God, right now, to minister in and through you, which, at a later point, maybe ten seconds from now, or ten years from now, will be put to an efficient and effective use for the kingdom of God in service and as an example for and before others.
There are many areas that we are prone to spiritual inefficiency when it comes to setting an example, and let me add, ineffectiveness, but there are three that are very prominent: Speech, Service, and Study.
Speech
In speech, we must look to the example set by Jesus and how He spoke to the disciples. At just the right times He spoke, whether it was in admonition, exaltation, or in discipling.
Do you ever find yourself talking to someone just to fill up the time, or waste the time before you leave work? “Well, I’ve got 30 minutes left before I head home, how can I waste it? Maybe I should wander over and talk to so and so.” I find myself doing that a lot when the computers are running great at ICS.
I remember something that Zig Ziglar, the motivational speaker once said, “What’s the best use of my time, right now?”
Another check is: do I find myself talking about people, or maybe even passing along something I’ve heard, like a rumor, just because I’m bored, or the day is slowing down?
Again, be careful. Those are the times when we’re most likely to let our spiritual efficiency guard down. Those are the times when we are most vulnerable to ineffectiveness for God.
Service
Jesus set the example in service. In John 13:4-14, He set the example by washing the feet of the disciples. He took the towel, wrapped it around Himself and washed 24 feet, maybe more. God, Himself, engaged in a repetitive, mundane, command activity, and still came out of it sinless. How? He came out of it sin-free by refusing to let go of His spirituality in His activities, whether they were secular or not.
Study/Sight
What are we looking at? What are we allowing our eyes to see day after day? Are we cautious, or, are we open to anything this world has to offer.
Again, we look to Jesus, Who mentions that even entertaining the thoughts of doing questionable activities equate to the doing of the same thing.
Spiritual efficiency is girded about by frequent study of God’s Word, and the sight of God’s Word (God’s Word in Action).
Following and Setting the example is found in those three: Speech, Service, and Study/Sight. Remember this quote from an unknown source:
“I would not give much for your religion unless it can be seen. Lamps do not talk, but they do shine.”
Selflessly Serving
Not only did Jesus set the example for others to follow and emulate, but He selflessly gave of Himself.
In Luke chapter 5, it tells of how there were so many people around Jesus, that some men, carrying a paralytic were unable to walk up to Him. They had to lower him through the roof. And, risking everything before the Pharisees, Jesus healed the man. He selflessly gave of Himself.
C.S. Kirkendall, Jr., relates the following about selfless service:
Every young student knows of Isaac Newton’s famed encounter with a falling apple. Newton discovered and introduced the laws of gravity in the 1600s, which revolutionized astronomical studies. But few know that if it weren’t for Edmund Halley, the world might never have learned from Newton. It was Halley who challenged Newton to think through his original notions. Halley corrected Newton’s mathematical errors and prepared geometrical figures to support his discoveries. Halley coaxed the hesitant Newton to write his great work, Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. Halley edited and supervised the publication, and actually financed its printing even though Newton was wealthier and easily could have afforded the printing costs.
Historians call it one of the most selfless examples in the annals of science. Newton began almost immediately to reap the rewards of prominence; Halley received little credit. He did use the principles to predict the orbit and return of the comet that would later bear his name, but only AFTER his death did he receive any acclaim. And because the comet only returns every seventy-six years, the notice is rather infrequent. Halley remained a devoted scientist who didn’t care who received the credit as long as the cause was being advanced.
There have been others that have played Halley’s role long before him. John the Baptist said of Jesus, "He must become greater; I must become less." Barnabus was content to introduce others to greatness. Many pray to uphold the work of one Christian leader. Many men will lift up the arms of one Christian leader and it takes just such selflessness to advance the kingdom of God.
Reaping the Reward
Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
There is no better way to elaborate on this portion of spiritual efficiency and effectiveness than to share these two stories.
Thomas a Kempis.
Do not be worn out by the labors which you have undertaken for My sake, and do not let tribulations ever cast you down. Instead, let My promise strengthen and comfort you under every circumstance. I am well able to reward you above all measure and degree. You shall not toil here long nor always be oppressed with griefs. A time will come when all labor and trouble will cease. Labor faithfully in My vineyard; I will be thy recompense. Life everlasting is worth all these conflict, and greater than these. Are not all plentiful labors to be endured for the sake of life eternal? Lift your face therefore to heaven; behold I and all My saints with me--who in this world had great conflicts--are now comforted, now rejoicing, now secure, now at rest, and shall remain with Me everlastingly in the kingdom of My father.
Then finally, one that will hit home for all of us…
From D. Bruce Lockerbie, Thinking and Acting Like A Christian, p. 52.
A world-class woman runner was invited to compete in a road race in Connecticut. On the morning of the race, she drove from New York City, following the directions -- or so she thought -- given her over the telephone. She got lost, stopped at a gas station, and asked for help. She knew that the race started in the parking lot of a shopping mall. The station attendant also knew of such a race scheduled just up the road and directed her there.
When she arrived she was relieved to see in the parking lot a modest number of runners preparing to compete. Not as many as she’d anticipated; an easier race than she’d been led to expect. She hurried to the registration desk, announced herself, and was surprised by the race officials’ excitement at having so renowned an athlete show up for their race. No, they had no record of her entry, but if she’d hurry and put on this number, she could just make it before the gun goes off. She ran and, naturally, she won easily, some four minutes ahead of the first male runner in second place.
Only after the race--when there was no envelope containing her sizable prize and performance money-- did she confirm that the event she’d run was not the race to which she’d been invited. That race was being held several miles farther up the road in another town. She’d gone to the wrong starting line, run the wrong course, and missed her chance to win a valuable prize.
Are you at the right starting line, the right course, and
(Philippians 3:14) I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
John 13:17,
Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
