“It is Jesus alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.”
~1 Timothy 6:16 (NRSV)
In rather deductive terms, the Apostle Paul cites reason, above, that Timothy is to fight the good fight of faith. He is to do all that can be done: to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness (verse 11). Christ is abundant reason.
The reason we do such a thing—to follow, even after Timothy, the exhortation of Paul—is we work under the same eternal anointing: the blessing of the Lord.
Doing What We Can
When we do all that we can—to prepare, live and recover our lives—we’re making the most of our time on the earth. And surely there’s much less incidence of regret as a result.
We do what can be done because we live in the now. And because we live now, we do what can be done with buoyant cheer. Doing what can be done is both inner and outer work; the inner, uppermost. To be healed, and to be available for healing, is primary. What use is it to do the outer work prior to the inner?
Healed (enough for the moment) and more fully whole—(note: not completely whole)—we go out.
Doing What We Can To Prepare
Now is the moment before the future comes; a time where we still have time to adjust for what’s ever more impending. This is sheer unparalleled luxury—to ponder what might be and what we may become from it as a result.
Looking upon the future we can gaze and dream or we can imagine what’ll be required of us and work diligently toward those ends. It’s up to us; do we bay in the luxury by procrastination or do we plan our doing in advance of the time?
The former subsists in fear or pleasure, whilst the latter is happily content in doing what it can to stay ready or get ahead; after all it’s a horrible reality to discover we’re behind.
Doing What We Can Now
Now is the golden hour. Now, again, is the moment before the future comes. Life is full of now moments, and they only prove meaningful as we look back. Now, in time, is either faith or ignorance; we either act in faith, as the time is used relevantly, or we waste it.
Not one second of time used faithfully is ever a waste, even if we perceive it as a waste. It’s a holy investment in the majesty of history, and God who leads us into eternity shall show us at the appointed time.
So, we do what we can do—all that can be done—this day; not manically, which is foolishly, but purposefully and at peace. This way we’re busy in the business of the kingdom, but never busied enough by our world to lose our cherished, blessed peace.
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The servant of God is busy within the Kingdom, but not to be busied by their world. Kingdom-directed, there’s always the allowable, available peace; to partake in the transcendent delight that they work for the eternal Lord.
To be busy in the Kingdom is not busyness by the world’s standards. It’s actually the opposite—the simple preoccupation with God and Divine purpose. The Lord shall direct our paths. It’s first-of-all, peace. Correspondingly, we come to accept.
Only upon our congruent acceptance can our work actually work for Divine purpose.
© 2012 S. J. Wickham.
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