Of course, in both cases, if you aren’t very careful about what you collect, the vast majority of your stuff or your data will be junk or, at least, worth much less than the space it occupies.

This reminds me over and over about priorities. Whether we notice it or not, we will arrange our lives around our priorities. If you are most concerned about money, then you start with your job schedule and plan everything around that. If you are more concerned about family, you will set blocks of leisure time with them and make the rest of your life fit around that. And, if you consider God to be the top priority, you will set that time in your schedule first and work around it with everything else.

I don’t know about you, but those low priority things on my list have a way of never getting done. It’s not that I don’t want to do them, it’s just that I keep finding much more important things to do with my time. Before you know it, months and years have passed. If God is low on your list, you’ll be amazed how quickly your relationship will atrophy.

Besides, He has promised that if you keep your priorities in order, He’ll help you with the rest of them anyway:

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

It’s kind of a no-brainer and, yet, it takes enormous discipline to do right.

What have you built your life around?

I just loved that whatever I built could easily fit with other things. The sizes and shapes were standardized, so it was never very difficult to get my creations to fit and combine. I just loved it when things seemed to snap together perfectly and acted like they were meant to fit like that.

I still have an appreciation for design elegance in software, hi-tech gear, and even architecture. Features that seem to fit together, flow, and perform multiple functions just feel right. Then, when everything seems to push towards the same theme or goal, it’s that much better.

The more I study the Word and dig into the deeper things, the more I find that same feeling. All of the pieces fit together, support each other, and guide us all toward the clear and powerful goal of a life in Christ.

As an example, I have often quoted the following Scripture when reminding others of the need to be able to defend their faith. I have also quoted the subsequent verse separately when mentioning the need to speak to others in a way that gives them no ammunition for legitimate criticism. It was only recently that I realized these are consecutive verses and support each other:

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” 1 Peter 3:15-16

We are absolutely commanded to be prepared to give a defense. But, we are to give that defense with gentleness and respect! This is truth with grace which is reinforced all through the New Testament.

These commands are valuable alone. They are move valuable when paired. They are even more valuable when you see that they reinforce a larger lesson about truth with grace.

I love it when the pieces fit like this!

It’s not unusual to hear about an actor hired because he looks like the comic book character who then feels he should control the writing, too. He’ll loudly disapprove of the script or the story and demand that his wishes be respected. Sometimes, the studio has to give in. But, sometimes, the actor isn’t quite as big as he thinks, and he’s gone. He misses out on being a part of a series of movies and regular paydays.

I have frequently used the analogy of following Christ being like having a bit part in God’s grand story. I’m happy with that and I shouldn’t forget my role.

“[God] who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.[...]” 2 Timothy 1:9a

He did not give us the role because we earned it or deserved it or because the story would fall apart without us. He gave us the role to serve His purposes and to achieve His ends.

We get to be a part of the biggest story in the universe and the only one with any lasting meaning. Don’t start demanding re-writes.

Now, imagine you could grow it forever. Imagine finding an endless source of income. I know of such a source, but it doesn’t supply money. God supplies grace and mercy and compassion.

“Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Not only is He the perfect source of comfort and compassion, but when He gives it to us, we can turn around and give it to someone else. If we all are doing just that, there will be those who don’t know Jesus who will be overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and compassion from the believers around him. Come to think of it, I believe that’s sort of the point.

This is a pyramid scheme that works. Don’t break the chain!

I have learned to bite my lip every time I watch shows where computers and technology are used to move the plot along. It is rarely done well and is frequently just embarrassing (from my point of view). But, every once in a while, I see something that is so out of place it just ruins the show for me. The other night, it was a moment when the tech guy was examining some small piece of unknown electronics gear. He declared confidently that he knew who had created the item because when he examined the software code, it was in Chinese. This was followed by a camera shot of the computer screen full of Chinese characters. That’s just not how computer code works on about three different levels.

The best analogy I can give is imagining a cop show where the pivotal evidence is determined because the cop can look at a photograph on the computer and smell the aftershave of the photographer. It’s just so out of whack as to be non-sensical.

That’s about where I am with the growing crowds of people demanding that I tolerate them and using Scripture in their argument. The most common, by far:

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” Matthew 7:1

When Scripture is quoted at me to convince me that I should stop declaring sinful activity to be sin, I get the same feeling as watching that TV show. The speaker has no idea what he is quoting and he is doing himself no favors in my evaluation of his argument. When Jesus said this, it has to be taken in context with the rest of His teachings and even the rest of His paragraph in that same teaching. In no way, shape, or form has Jesus asked us to “tolerate” sin.

I think the more apropos Scripture here are a couple of Proverbs:

“Like a lame man’s legs that hang limp
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

[...]

Like a thornbrush in a drunkard’s hand
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.” Proverbs 26:7,9

The message here is that Scripture used by the fool is, at best, powerless and, at worst, dangerous. If you hear Scripture being used to argue something new and different or seemingly contradictory to classical Christianity, you might want to check to see if it is being spoken by a fool.

Time and time again, I look back and can see where the path He had me take was exactly the right one with the right timing that resulted in the best outcome. We are so proud when we kill two birds with one stone. If you expand the metaphor, God regularly kills billions of birds with one stone. He accomplishes much with every passing moment. All of the moving pieces fit together perfectly. And, yet, in the midst of His plan, I doubt.

This verse is a great summary of the recognition we should have:

“[Praise to the LORD] O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.” Isaiah 25:1

He does miraculous, amazing, unbelievable things. But, they are never illogical or nonsensical. They are perfect for the situation and accomplish exactly what He planned.

And, plan He does. These are not on-the-fly arrangements. He’s not winging it. He doesn’t have to. He is never surprised. He has planned all of these actions and events from before time.

And, He included each of us in those plans. We are part of the blueprints He laid out before Creation.

That qualifies as being well worth exaltation and praise, don’t you think?

The worst case of this that I experienced, by far, was a project for which I was the technical lead. So, on top of the pressure of getting the code finished, I had to worry about the rest of the engineers, too. On that project, crunch mode lasted roughly three months.

As the march progressed, I began to trim more and more out of my daily routine to maximize the work I could get done. I started by closing my door to avoid casual conversations. I would let calls other than my wife or my teammates go to voice mail. I eventually started ignoring non-project related emails.

My goal was to remove all possible distractions so that every moment I had at the office was spent improving the product and preparing it to ship. As much as I hated the schedule, I appreciated the efficiency I was able to achieve. I began to see how clearly I could think, problem-solve, and develop without dozens of other issues intruding on my brain.

I don’t aspire to recreate crunch mode, but I do look for opportunities to trim the fat from my daily routine. The distractions can paralyze you:

“The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.” Matthew 13:22

Notice that the man Jesus describes in this parable heard the Word. He understands the good news. But, even if he accepts Christ, he is unfruitful because of the worries of this life and the pursuit of wealth.

Don’t mistake busyness for fruitfulness. Work to achieve clarity in your relationship with Jesus.

So, when we have to choose on whom we will depend for everything in life, why would we choose another human being or someone created by the minds of human beings? Those are guaranteed to let you down eventually.

“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge. Selah” Psalm 62:5-8

We cannot split our trust between God and government or God and our pastor or God and our strength. Our hope can only successfully depend upon Him and Him alone.

Don’t be fooled by those who are better educated or better trained than you. They cannot offer the perfectly dependable hope that God does. This is not a difficult concept, it’s just hard to practice. He is the only hope worth having.

“Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. [Good luck with that!]” James 3:1

It is hard to maintain righteousness and teach because one must use the tongue and it is impossible to wield perfectly:

“But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God;” James 3:8-9

How does a sinner teach? How does a teacher live up to the example of Jesus?

You do the best you can. When you fall, you apologize, reorganize, and realize this:

“But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.” Luke 8:15

“I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.” Romans 6:19

Dysfunction ain’t right. To do right is to function! The question is why does it seem to be easier to not function and to give in to malice, hurtfulness, and gossip? It’s because it’s the natural—meaning worldly—thing to do.