October 12

Day 212: Monday Battlefield

Mondays are Mondays for everyone. Unless you happen to be a Federal worker today, then you might be getting a paid day off.

Monday mornings seem to be the time each week we greet with, "You mean I have to do this all over again?" Uh, yes. We do.

While we begin the new week asking a lot of "how" questions, it might be more helpful (at least for me) to revisit the why" questions. When any of us forget why we do what we do, we're left with nothing more than "How do I survive another week?" Not too inspiring, you'll agree.

Purpose and desired end game are what drive any of us. We will put up with a lot of unknowns, even a lot of discomfort, if we continue to believe strongly on what we deem to be important, vital, lasting.

But whenever any of us are day dreaming about a different life, with far fewer responsibilities and obligations, with far fewer people to answer to or provide for, it's likely because we've lost sight of the goal line.

Don't think pastors aren't prone to this. We are. You'd think our Bible knowledge and airtight theologies make us immune; but it doesn't. The dirty little question inside the heads of pastors on a Monday morning is...Is what we're doing actually allowing the Word and the Spirit to really change the lives of our people? Or the short version...Does anyone really care?

Not unlike you, pastors can also lose sight of the other side of the forest, because the trees get in the way. Especially when those same trees seem to be falling on our heads.

I read the first three chapters of Galatians this morning. Paul is "astonished" how quickly that group of churches has lost sight of the grace of the gospel. It hasn't been that long since he had opportunity to teach them himself; yet, they've somehow wandered back to legalism and self-made religion. They had allowed themselves to listen to different, opposing voices.

But in writing his letter to them, his faith is not necessarily in them. How could it be? His faith is in the gospel. The rich grace of God given to us for salvation. Even Paul has to go back to the "why" in order to continue to pastor these people, even from afar and through a letter.

Were I Paul, I might be tempted to move on from the Galatians. Go to where the people are more active and committed to Jesus and His Kingdom. Count the Galatians as an inevitable business loss, and go looking elsewhere for the next win.

But he didn't. Paul kept banging the drum of God's grace, louder and louder. Because he understood the why that drives the what and how. He reminded himself of the gospel, every day, all the time.

But I'll bet his Mondays were an internal battlefield, none the less.

-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church | Juneau