Distracted by Stuff

I just finished reading the book, Blessed Child, by Ted Dekker and Bill Bright. It is a work of fiction that seeks to challenge our walk with the Lord. Bill Bright, taking his example from Christ, likes to use stories to reach the heart with the truths of the doctrines from Scripture.

The child has the gift of healing. This is controversial, I know, but he gives all credit and honor to the Father, Son and Spirit. In the book the Lord does some amazing acts, all for His glory, all to draw hearts to His Son and His offer of forgiveness and life. Constantly is it questioned which is more important, healing of the limbs or healing of the heart? The answer is shown to be the heart. The reader is drawn to Christ and to repentance and to worship on a level that most Evangelical Americans do not reach.

Look, this stuff makes me nervous, but I do believe that the mystical is something we either run from or demand in a chaotic manner- here in the states. Why? Why do we, "throw the baby out with the bathwater?" God IS mystical. And, yes, God IS orderly. So....

But that is not my main point of this blog. It is that the book reminded me that so often I am distracted by the cares of the world, and that is choking. So often I am directed by what is seen, rather than what is unseen. There is a whole Kingdom out there beyond the thin skin of this world, and I am worried about my weight, my thinning hair, my color scheme in the house, and so on! Good grief. I spent the last two weeks deep cleaning the house. I have to spend the next week de-cluttering the upstairs so that we can get new carpet. Just HOW is the Kingdom being impacted by all this? All this time? All this effort? When it will all burn in the end?!

These things are of such little value. Yes, I need and want to be a good steward of that which the Lord has given me- hopefully making the world around me beautiful and orderly, but to what extend should this clutter my mind? Do I look like I am a daughter of the King Most High? Does it flow from my pores (think sweet smelling incense rising to the Lord)? Do I even BEGIN to tap into the power of the Lord? The presence of the Lord?

I am worldly. I am weak. And this is not the abundant life to which Jesus Christ calls me. I only have one life on this earth, and I want it to count for Jesus- even in the mundane things of life. I want to live with purpose & power, with clarity & confidence, with simplicity & beauty.

Can anyone say self-denial?

So, how do we spur each other on, dear brothers and sisters? Do you have this struggle?