The Many and the One
Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.
Man, is that whole-hearted love or what? I pray that verse frequently, and I keep hoping that one of these times it will feel sincere! Because the fact is that my love for God’s law is not as strong as all that. While his words may briefly come to mind from time to time, that hardly qualifies as meditation. And it certainly is not “all the day”.
That reminds me again of what Bishop Ryle said about the zealous man, that he sees one thing, he cares for one thing, he lives for one thing, he is swallowed-up in one thing—and that one thing is to please God.
The attraction I find in that quote is its simplicity. Instead of having thousands of thoughts racing through my mind each day, instead of charging down rabbit trails in pursuit of distractions, instead of seeking escape from threats both real and imagined, instead of getting so caught up in the to do list that God and his word are far from my mind, I would love to be focused on one thing.
But reality is not so simple. No, it is deeply complex, downright messy, full of obstacles and interruptions. Responsibilities and commitments call, people have needs, stuff goes wrong. Life seems to be a zero-sum game—I can’t do A without taking away from B. And C, and D, and on and on.
So what is the answer? How can I possibly live for one thing when so many things demand or even require my attention? It seems as if the only way I could possibly meditate on God’s law “all the day” would be to retreat to a monastery. If all my attention is on loving God, what happens to loving my neighbor? There are two great commandments after all, not just one.
Does this remind you of two sisters? “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
I would suggest that the answer is to look at the many through the lens of the one. Some words from the Apostle Paul spring to mind here:
Let’s bring that down to a practical level. How do we do that? I think that the example of Mary is important here. We need to have some time that we just sit quietly at Jesus’ feet and listen to his words. But we also need to make a real effort in the hurry of life to take a step back and think about why we do what we are about to do, to remember that Jesus never leaves us or forsakes us, to ask for his guidance, to thank him for the opportunities to serve, to ask him to strengthen us. And to remember the words that we listened to in quiet.
Does that sound practical or workable to you? Do you have suggestions that will help us simplify our lives and make God’s word our meditation all the day?
Psalm 119:97
That reminds me again of what Bishop Ryle said about the zealous man, that he sees one thing, he cares for one thing, he lives for one thing, he is swallowed-up in one thing—and that one thing is to please God.
The attraction I find in that quote is its simplicity. Instead of having thousands of thoughts racing through my mind each day, instead of charging down rabbit trails in pursuit of distractions, instead of seeking escape from threats both real and imagined, instead of getting so caught up in the to do list that God and his word are far from my mind, I would love to be focused on one thing.
But reality is not so simple. No, it is deeply complex, downright messy, full of obstacles and interruptions. Responsibilities and commitments call, people have needs, stuff goes wrong. Life seems to be a zero-sum game—I can’t do A without taking away from B. And C, and D, and on and on.
So what is the answer? How can I possibly live for one thing when so many things demand or even require my attention? It seems as if the only way I could possibly meditate on God’s law “all the day” would be to retreat to a monastery. If all my attention is on loving God, what happens to loving my neighbor? There are two great commandments after all, not just one.
Does this remind you of two sisters? “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
I would suggest that the answer is to look at the many through the lens of the one. Some words from the Apostle Paul spring to mind here:
- And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Col 3:17
- Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men. Col 3:23
- So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Cor 10:31
Let’s bring that down to a practical level. How do we do that? I think that the example of Mary is important here. We need to have some time that we just sit quietly at Jesus’ feet and listen to his words. But we also need to make a real effort in the hurry of life to take a step back and think about why we do what we are about to do, to remember that Jesus never leaves us or forsakes us, to ask for his guidance, to thank him for the opportunities to serve, to ask him to strengthen us. And to remember the words that we listened to in quiet.
Does that sound practical or workable to you? Do you have suggestions that will help us simplify our lives and make God’s word our meditation all the day?
That last bit, the practical actions are really a part of the renewing our minds, and working out our salvation in our lives, isn't it? The practice of reminding ourselves of the promises God has given us is vital, catching ourselves when repeating the Lie of the accuser and refocusing on the Truth.
ReplyDeleteI would say yes, absolutely, the practical actions are exactly that. In fact I'd say the same of everything I've put in this blog so far. The big umbrella concept here is progressive sanctification, which covers renewing our mind, working out our salvation, putting on the new man, growing in grace, learning to love God with our whole heart, etc., etc. I also want us to gaze at some of the small details within that big picture. What does the renewed mind look like from day to day and hour to hour? What are believers who are farther down the road to holiness doing to keep on keeping on? Thanks for emphasizing the importance of keeping God's promises in front of us. One relevant promise is Phil 1:6, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. As we work things out, we can do it with confidence that he is working in us.
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