Sunday, May 15, 2005

Hazardous work

Any work done faithfully and well is difficult. it is no harder for me to do my job well than for any other person. There are no easy tasks in the Christian way; there are only tasks that can be done faithfully or erratically, with joy or with resentment. And there is no room for any of us, ... to speak in tones of self-pity of the terrible burdens of our work.

what is hazardous in my life is my work as a Christian. Everyday i put faith on the line. i have never seen God. In a world where nearly everything can be weighed, explained, quantified, subjected to psychological analysis and scientific control, i persist in making the center of my life a God whom no eye hath seen, nor ear heard, whose will no one can probe. That's a risk.

Everyday i put hope on the line. i don't know one thing about the future. i don't know what the next hour wil hold. There may be sickness, accident, personal or world catastrophe... Despite my ignorance.... i say that God will accomplish His will, and i cheerfully persist in living in the hope that nothing will separate me from Christ's love.

Everyday i put love on the line. There is nothing i am less good at than love. i am far better in competition than in love. i am far better at responding to my instincts and ambitions to get ahead and make my mark than i am at figuring out how to love another. i am schooled and trained in acquisitive skills, in getting my own way. and yet i decide, every day, to set aside what i can do best and attempt what i do very clumsily - open myself to the frustrations and failures of loving, daring to believe that failing in love is better than succeeding in pride.

- p 76 A long obedience in the same direction (Eugene Peterson)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Yoz! Here's ur hao jie mei here. How come no new entry? Thot you put one in during my nap. :) Thanks for all the tele-advice. :) ok. will tag again. btw, was really inspired by ur entries. yap.. including the one by ur fren Eugene. :)