Do the hard things first
One of the principles I [try to] live by is to do the hard things on my agenda first. I do not abide by this every time: I’M HUMAN! However, I reap the benefits when I do. One area where I have recently slipped a bit in this department is in the realm of physical exercise. At the beginning, I had a legitimate issue with my hands that prevented me from working out. Perhaps I can also assign a sliver of blame to sleep deprivation (though I have it super easy compared to my wife). If I’m honest though, the rest of the problem can be attributed to old-fashioned falling off the wagon. When I manage to start my day with some sweat, it seems like my quiet time with God happens more naturally, I feel better, and I wind up being more productive. As my day progresses, I bite off the next toughest item. Things that take less brain power get done later in the day when I’m not quite as fresh.
One of the ways it is the most challenging to tackle hard situations first is in the realm of relationships. None of us wants to be “that guy” who unintentionally turns a mole hill into a mountain. Having said that, many times we put off issues that might otherwise be easily solved. Once a relationship begins to head in the wrong direction, the easy to do is to let it keep sliding. It is much harder thing to [try to] improve the situation. In some instances, it may not be fixable on this side of Heaven. However, 2nd Corinthians 5:19 tells us that Christ has given us “the ministry of reconciliation.” Over the years of being a Christian, I have learned that everything God calls us to do involves a process that is (usually) contrary to our human desires. In other words, we don’t naturally feel like working out, having a quiet time, or getting other important items done in a given day. We discipline ourselves to do those things. In the same way, I believe we rarely “feel like” working on a relational strain. Our human tendency is to let time pass and hope it improves. Cars don’t fix themselves. Houses don’t clean themselves. We have to work to keep them in operational condition. The same principle applies with people – the problems don’t fix themselves; they must be repaired. This takes work.
Do you have a hard relationship you aren’t quite sure if/when/how to re-engage? The sting of these kinds of situations can feel unbearable. On Sunday, I’m going to be talking about how to know if we are ready to deal with a situation like this, what to do before re-engaging it, and what to do when the moment actually arrives. Whether you have this type of situation in your life right now or not, at some point you will! I hope you’ll join us at 9:09am/11:11am for a great time. We’ll be taking communion as well.
Another thing we’re going to do Sunday is put some names on the Cross that we’ll be inviting to Easter. Start praying between now and Sunday about who you are hoping to bring to Jesus this Easter.
I hope you have a great rest of your week!
In Christ,
Pastor Kyle
P.S. Inserting cute Nygel picture now…
