Chuck Bridges Blog

Ok, so, did you think I passed away? It has been a while since I carved out some time to write a post on this blog site. For those who keep checking, thanks for your interest. I apologize for not writing very much.

To be perfectly honest with you I have not been in a “writing” frame of mind lately. I have always tried to write a blog post because I had something to say, not because I had to say something. This is kind of the way it is in preaching on a weekly basis. Sometimes you just can’t wait to get to the “Message” portion of the service because you have something to say (from God of course). Then there are those times when I think, “Is it time for the message already?” (Relax, this doesn’t happen often!)

So, what do I have to say? Nothing very profound at the moment. I was just wondering why it has been so long since I took the time to write out my thoughts or share some insight on this medium. This thought-process highlighted some of the things that keep me from doing what I really want to do. One of the problems for me is that things just don’t seem to go the way I plan them. If my circumstances would just cooperate a little more with my objectives, I could get a lot more done (and be in a better mood! — that would make my wife very happy!!) The weeks pass by so quickly that it is a challenge to assess if I am getting anywhere (you know, the “making progress” issue). I keep putting the things I really want to get done to the back of a way too busy, too demanding schedule.

Then there’s the problem of “unexplainable” things that manage to worm their way into our conscious world. We don’t really know why we feel a certain way or why we can’t manage to accomplish our goals and progressively we entertain discouragement. This usually leads to depression which is mostly just confusion over the real reason why we can’t seem to get anything done! (Am I doing some good rambling or what?)

I think what really happens in most of our lives is that we have so many duties to perform each day that our “leisure” time gets swallowed up making us more like a machine than a human being. The things we want to get done — the things that would really make us feel like we were accomplishing something — get pushed to the back of our “time-allowances” and, before you know it, we are falling exhaustedly in the bed so we can get up and do it again the next day. Or, if you’re like me, you take a good nap to rest up before falling into bed. (that recliner sleep is spot on!)

Well, let me try and make some sense out of these maddening ramblings. I think one possible solution to our Delays, Dilemmas and Duties (or at least a sedative for these ruts) is to remember that God called us “Human Beings, not Human Doings.” (I borrowed that from Rick Warren, Pastor of Saddleback Community Church) We spend so much of our time “DOING” that we very seldom practice Psalm 46:10 — “Be still and know that I am God!” In the NT Jesus says something like this: “Stop storing up and laboring for things that will not last. Instead, pour your heart and soul into the things that really matter and you will find that many of your former worries are just a  fading memory.” (Matthew 6:33-34 — my paraphrase)

I will try to “Practice what I preach” and slow down enough to think, meditate, pray and ask God what insights, experiences, struggles, and victories He wants me to share using this medium. What is it that you want to get done but keep letting life’s delays, dilemmas, and duties take precedence? In all of your duties don’t forget to carve out some quality time for YOU — which is done most efficiently when we share it with HIM (i.e. Jesus!). Good Luck.