I (Matt) recently decided to start sharing my thoughts on life, ministry, and God’s Word with all of you in regular devotionals. I have not decided whether or not I should name them, but if I do, I would like your help. Please email me back to vote on which name you like best: A Little Harrisy, Matt’s Musings, Matt’s Monthly Devotional, A Word of Wisdom, or some other suggestion you have (my favorite is the comedic A Little Harrisy). My prayer is that this helps us grow together into Christian maturity as we look forward to Christ’s return.
15 But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.LUKE 5:15-16.
When Jesus’ popularity increased, He did the opposite of what we would expect. Often, instead of going toward the crowds, He sought seclusion. Not only does verse 16 teach us about Jesus’ fully human nature (while 15 demonstrates His divinity), it also provides a great example for Jesus’ followers. We only have a limited amount of time on the earth to serve our King, and we should desire to accomplish as much for Him as possible, but more work can actually be accomplished when it is relegated to its proper place in our lives. This is because sharp tools work better than dull tools and it is worth the time to sharpen and maintain them. But what does this look like practically?
I recently was taught the illustration of Central Park by a team that came from Maryland to teach our pastors about counseling. Despite being prime real estate worth a fortune, no one can build on Central Park because, in 1853, the 778 acres (now 843) were designated forever to bless the city with beauty and fresh air. Now, according to Wikipedia, it is “the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated 42 million visitors annually as of 2016. It is also one of the most filmed locations in the world.” This month, my wife Noelle and I sat down to plan our “Central Park” by designating the things in our lives that are off limits from life’s business and ever-demanding workload. Because I am an audio and visual learner, we actually took the time to doodle our park and label its different aspects so that we can hang it on our wall. In order to maintain ourselves as tools in the Master Craftsman’s hand, we have carved out time for the following: personal devotions (daily), family devotions (daily), dates (weekly), dinner with our missionary team (weekly), prayer with our international team (monthly), camping with our friends (bi-monthly), family fun (regularly), family movie nights (weekly), exercise (daily), walks with friends (weekly), reading and listening to audiobooks (regularly), budget meetings (monthly), and sending out prayer requests, updates, and devotionals (monthly). While some of these things will be harder to maintain than others, we have made it off-limits to build on Central Park.
May God bless us as we seek to balance work and maintenance. May we all maintain “Central Park”.
In Christ,
Matt Harris