It's Your Life

I have wrestled with my conscience/heart for many years over how I should be spending my time here on earth, what career it is that God would have me in. I have raised the question to others, including pastors, "Is it God's will that every Christian have a career as a pastor or serve in a full-time ministry, since all other careers are not fully devoted to serving Him?"
I always got the same general answer, which in summary states that we can serve God in many careers by being a good example, being a positive influence on and ministering to others, etc. These are good answers, but, it didn't quite get to the core of my sticking point. I read a devotional by Charles Haddon Spurgeon this morning, here are the pertinent parts:

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"For me to live is Christ." — Philippians 1:21

In the words of an ancient saint, he did eat, and drink, and sleep eternal life. Jesus was his very breath, the soul of his soul, the heart of his heart, the life of his life. Can you say, as a professing Christian, that you live up to this idea? Can you honestly say that for you to live is Christ? Your business—are you doing it for Christ? Is it not done for self- aggrandizement and for family advantage? Do you ask, "Is that a mean reason?" For the Christian it is. He professes to live for Christ; how can he live for another object without committing a spiritual adultery?

- Charles Haddon Spurgeon
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At first as I read this I thought (as I have before) "Should I quit my job as an engineer and jump full-time into Christian media productions?" Quickly, before I could agonize over that (again) this answer came to me; "The point is to examine your motives. Your hands and feet can be in many places, it is your heart that He cares about."

So, I can't answer for anyone what they should be doing as "hands and feet" of God, but that we each must carefully and prayerfully examine our motives for how we spend our time.

This devotional relates well to the next movie that I am considering producing. It is a documentary exploring the lives of people who spend their time serving others, making life better for others, and making the world a better place. I still don't have a title. The potential distributor suggested titling it "Hands and Feet," I have considered titling it "It's Your Life...how will you spend it?"

The photograph was taken during production of "Spirits Among Us" while we were shooting the church service scene.

True Beauty

My wife and I have been watching a new “reality” show called True Beauty. The contestants are very good-looking young people who think they are vying for the position of “most beautiful” based on physical appearance and how they perform various modeling-related activities. What the three judges are looking for is actually inner beauty, which is largely based on the contestants’ behavior when they don’t know they are being taped by hidden cameras. In judging inner beauty, the judges basically focus on the contestant’s integrity and how they treat other people. It is a simple, fairly predictable show, but I enjoy it and it actually has some redeeming value.

What I am learning from this show is aside from the obvious shallow, ego-centric, self promoting ugliness that is often found in people (physically beautiful or not), that everyone has some unattractive characteristics. I realize that most readers will respond to my last statement with something to the effect of “Duh!” What I am trying to articulate goes a little deeper. True beauty doesn’t come naturally. Ugliness comes easily and naturally. For non-believers, becoming beautiful requires will power, a willingness to make changes to bad thoughts, bad words, and bad actions. For believers, the Holy Spirit continually perfects us, if we pursue Godliness. We also have to exercise will power to make changes, but even the strongest will power is weak when compared to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. I see much of my unattractiveness in the behavior of some of the contestants. This makes me see two truths to a greater depth than before:

1. I need to continually ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to me those areas in which I need improvement
2. I need to have more patience with people struggling with their own imperfections

On a funny note, I heard it once said that “Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes right to the bone.” That statement is intended to be humorous, but it hits on something which I believe is true. There is some ugliness beneath the surface of everyone, and a preponderance of ugliness will eventually make its way to the surface.

The photo is one of many that I have taken of our children. You can see more by visiting my very old website at the following link: http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Paradise/1368/index.html