life
Foundations or stepping stones?
"How are you feeling 'project human' with the thought of a demon whispering you in the ear that everything is temporal, and nothing is supposed to be repeated?"
This is one of the confronting lines of a book called "Projektmennesket" (project human) of Anders Fogh Jensen I'm currently studying for my Masters in Diaconia. The author describes our current society as a project society all about saying yes to as much as possible. It's about constantly optimising one's chances for getting a new project, whether work-related or in our free time. This new normal in society demands endless initiative from each individual to pursue the next project in order to not land in a place of unemployment or boredom. The spirit of project society is 'next' and 'new' while repetition is the enemy. Instead, there is a constant search for openings when what is often needed is boundaries.
When rarely no one is resisting this pace, life becomes about keeping up on the threadmill of the thrill of a new exciting project. Overbookings become a way of life. Because there is no collective opposition to the race and pace, there are instead individual breakdowns manifesting as stress, depression and burnout. When project society does not think in foundations but in stepping stones, it has a price.
Whether you agree totally in this author's description of today's society or not, I bet you can recognise some of the dynamics...
Do you feel caught up in all this madness sometimes? Ready for some more rest, rhythms and repetitions instead of constantly chasing the next stepping stone for the life you are building? I am with you. 🙋
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To build for a lasting impact, foundations are key. What's your foundation? Jesus talks about foundations' significance this way:
"Everyone who hears my teaching and applies it to his life can be compared to a wise man who built his house on an unshakeable foundation. When the rains fell and the flood came, with fierce winds beating upon his house, it stood firm because of its strong foundation.
But everyone who hears my teaching and does not apply it to his life can be compared to a foolish man who built his house on sand. When it rained and rained and the flood came, with wind and waves beating upon his house, it collapsed and was swept away." Matt. 8,24 TPT.
This is the cure for anxiety, to apply His transformative words to our lives in order to have a strong, firm and unshakeable foundation in Him.
Another illustration on foundations is the act of filling up a see-through vase. The vase is a picture of our life. First, the vase is filled up with sand which symbolises hobbies, cleaning, phone calls, emails, sport etc. It's all the stuff that needs to get done for our daily lives to be sorted. After filling the vase up with sand, stones are laid on top to symbolise substantials like bible, prayer, community, worship and church. It will quickly be evident it can't all be stuffed in the vase. It's cramped, over the top and overwhelming. But if the order is changed and the foundational stones are laid in the bottom first, all the sand, symbolising less important things, seems to find its place, even with the complete same amount of ingredients. This is the mystery of life. The upside down kingdom. The way of Jesus.
Have you ever experienced that what you start with really matters? What's most important to you?
I pray it will be our reality that as we continuously above all constantly chase after the realm of God's kingdom and the righteousness that proceeds from him, all these less important things will be given to us abundantly. Matt. 6,33 TPT.
Let's not only adapt to society's frantic search for stepping stones but let's be more intentional about the invisible: roots, foundations and our inner heart from where life flows.
Let's build wisely together on the rock that is higher than us, remaining in Him so that what we build last into eternity.
Bless you,
Sandra.
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When life treats you tight
Have you ever been in a tight spot?
Have you experienced a tight financial situation or have you felt tight on friends? Have your to-do lists and deadlines been so tight that it feels like they are teasing you and about to squeeze the life out of you? Well, no matter what kind of 'tight' you are experiencing, our tolerance sure gets tested when the treadmill of life seem to treat us terrible or tight trials arrive.
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All this tightness we can experience can threaten our trust in Jesus or totally trash our trust. Thanksgiving becomes tight. The thrill of being alive becomes tight when we have a hard time imagining the transformation that's truly possible for our situation. The tenacity we once had turns tiring.
Synonyms to the word 'tight' are words like unyielding, solid, compact, compressed, stretched, strained and stressed. Life can definitely feel that way.
It did for me in the Summer of 2017. My sense of overwhelm was enormous with the responsibility of leading a newly started department of church, building a new marriage, intense health issues arising, having to move apartments and on top of that finishing a four year education, and not having the vision of what awaited me afterwards. In all of this, I felt God pruning and taking away stuff in my life; it was an excavation of my life. God was tilting the soil of my heart which exposed all sorts of ugly stuff in my character. I felt a spiritual battle going on for my future and I felt like I had no energy to fight it. The tightness was tough. And for me, I was dancing around the edge of burnout.
So what do we do when life throws that at us? What's the good news in all of this?
The word 'tight' has synonyms like to fix, fasten, and be closed firmly; hard to move, undo, or open. I believe that's the exact kind of TIGHT that GOD is holding you with! He is holding tight to you in this hour - his firm hands are strong and not letting go of you. It may look like you're surrounded, but you're surrounded by Him!
"If anyone stands in your way, if anyone tries to get you out of the way, Know this: Your God-honored life is tightly bound in the bundle of God-protected life; But the lives of your enemies will be hurled aside as a stone is thrown from a sling." (1 Sam 25,29 MSG)
Remember He is fighting the battle for you. Even when the path you know God has for you seems rough, don't doubt that He is holding you tight to Himself, even when the trials seem to hold you tighter. Call out to Jesus, and let this be your testimony, like it was David's:
"When I call, give me answers. God, take my side! Once, in a tight place, you gave me room." (Psalm 4,1 MSG)
What kind of room do you need in your life? Room to have fun, to rest, to create, to unload some burdens, just to breathe? Ask Him for that and see Him do the divine exchange He is so famous for doing; giving us His rest for our heaviness, His joy for our mourning and His comfort for our angst.
God brought me out of a tight place that Summer and into a revelation and sense that He was holding me even tighter to me than what was coming against me, and it gave me room to experience joy and rest again.
Side note is, I do still feel overwhelmed every day! There is nothing wrong with that in and of itself. But what I am learning is to be more overwhelmed by Jesus than whatever task is at hand, the art of bending without breaking and to rejoice in getting to live a big life and embrace the crazy that comes with it.
Can I encourage you, when you feel like life is tight, keep your eyes open, hold tight to your convictions through those circumstances, give it all you’ve got, be resolute, and love without stopping. (1 Cor 16:13-14 MSG.) Let the lines of purpose in our lives never grow slack, tightly tied as they are to our future in heaven, kept taut by hope. (Col. 1,3.5 MSG)
This prayer from King David I've made own, and you can do that as well <3
"With your very own hands you formed me; now breathe your wisdom over me so I can understand you. When they see me waiting, expecting your Word, those who fear you will take heart and be glad. I can see now, God, that your decisions are right; your testing has taught me what’s true and right. Oh, love me—and right now!—hold me tight! just the way you promised.
Now comfort me so I can live, really live; your revelation is the tune I dance to. Let the fast-talking tricksters be exposed as frauds; they tried to sell me a bill of goods, but I kept my mind fixed on your counsel. Let those who fear you turn to me for evidence of your wise guidance. And let me live whole and holy, soul and body, so I can always walk with my head held high." (Psalm 119,73-80 MSG)
Hold tight to Jesus. He is holding tight to you!
Love,
Sandra.
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