The internet sure is fast. I’ve seen several references to this Kevin DeYoung quote the last few days from different sources:
"No doubt some Christians need to be shaken out of their lethargy…But there are also a whole bunch of Christians who need to be set free from their performance-minded, law-keeping, world-changing, participate-with-God-in-recreating-the-cosmos shackles. I promise you, some of the best people in your churches are getting tired. They don’t need another rah-rah pep talk...They need to hear about Christ’s death and resurrection…Because the secret of the gospel is that we actually do more when we hear less about all we need to do for God and hear more about all that God has already done for us."
We are complicated beings. At one moment, I am working in bondage to man’s approval with a performance mindset. At other times (or concurrently, in another area of life) I am working restfully out of a deep awareness of my freedom in Christ.
But even when I am relaxed, feeling free, and enjoying my work, C. J. Mahaney shakes me up with this quote. He writes that he is busy, but he is sometimes busy “neglecting the most important work, and busy knocking out a to-do list filled with tasks of secondary importance.”
Ouch. When I am working out of my own strength for man’s (or God’s) approval? And when am I busy working in order that I may neglect more important matters due to deeper sins of fear, idolatry, pride and selfishness? And when am I just plain lazy, sticking my head in the sand of talk-radio or TV?
Being in doubt, I am going to push the reset button and just turn back to the gospel. I’m going to remind myself, and be reminded by others, of what God has already done for me. And I’ll pray that out of that wonderful, restful reminder, he will align my priorities with his, that he will root out and crucify the deeper reasons why I avoid certain tasks, and that he will purify my motives.
So, with this as my prayer, I’m going to take a six-month sabbatical from blogging to rest and reflect on the simple, beautiful, finished work of Christ. I started writing primarily for my kids, to give them a window into their dad’s soul. I may continue to do that from time to time with paper and ink for now, and I hope to return to the world of blogging, or whatever has taken its place, in six months’ time.
