It is Fin...

Back in the day (as if the 80s and 90s were that long ago!) when I was in school, the internet wasn't accessible to students and most families didn't own a computer-how hard is that to believe?!! In college, we copiously took notes via pen or pencil. We couldn't ask the professor to slow down on the lecture, we were expected to keep up. Also, most of us didn't own a cell phone, and if we did, we didn't have a built-in camera.

Back to the future or  to the present, I mean. Do you know what my kids (as in, my students) do when they need to take notes? They ask to take a picture of the board with their cellphone. Now, I know that these kids are not of the notion that using less paper would leave a smaller carbon footprint. Maybe some of them are EPA-oriented, but most of these kids are the same kids who toss their can of soda or water bottle into my garbage rather than getting up out of their seat to toss it in the recycle bin. And I can assure you that their reason to take a picture is not because they are efficient-you should see their backpack before I've asked them to find a pen! And I can assure you that they are not spending any extra time studying those notes when they have extra time from the phone that they take everywhere. Nope, there is one HUGE reason that they ask to take a picture of the notes on the board-yes, the "L" word-drum roll, please: they are LAZY and it's unabashed laziness too! It is so opposite of the way I operate.

If anyone knows me, I strive to do my best in everything. I am not particularly good at anything, but I strive for success and I work hard at whatever needs to be done. As a teacher, I can see the character of my students in the way their grades and classwork plays out. I can see the F student who much of the time could care less (not all are this way, but it really is hard to fail a class if you do all of the work) and the A student who much of the time works hard to earn the grade. However, it is not uncommon for some of my A students to want to take the easy way out and avoid the hard work involved in maintaining their grade.

Today, I was mulling over this morning's sermon in my mind and Kent (one of our pastors) was talking about how pride rears its ugly head in places you least expect it. He gave a plethora of practical examples as to how we're all affected by pride. And, I didn't want to be prideful so I was trying to figure out where I fell into those examples.

However, I just couldn't see how pride affected my life-I'm so, so kidding. I totally have areas of pride where I am convicted and where I haven't been convicted yet. Like, I know that I sometimes have expectations of people or even of God that I think should be fulfilled. Or, I can be prideful about how disciplined I am about certain things. Or,one of the areas that I've been convicted about is my self-imposed guilt. My pride won't allow me to succumb to a standard lower than what I expect of myself. I sometimes find myself bathing in self-imposed legalism rather than the grace which the Lord has so generously lavished on us. It's interesting how the Lord can use other people, things, examples or SERMONS to show us areas in which we need to improve.

I know it sounds like I'm jumping from one thing to the next, but in my mind, it all makes sense and my thoughts really are cohesive. Before Kent preached, we had communion. Kent read Isaiah 52 and 53 and I was totally in awe of 53:10-11.God, the Father was not only pleased to crush Jesus and put Him to grief on the cross-He was satisfied in the sacrifice. Jesus' work on the cross was a job well done-not half-hearted or done casually.

I kept thinking, what if Jesus was carrying the cross after being scourged and then arrived to Golgotha and said, 'Okay guys, I'm done. I don't feel like being nailed up on the cross-I'm too tired' or 'I just feel burned out and I don't really have any motivation to hang' or 'What's in it for me? If I'm not affected, why does it matter if I die, I've already been beaten, isn't that enough?' or 'Guys, couldn't we find an easier way to do this?'. I couldn't help but crack up to myself,  (in church, during communion), what if Jesus said, "It is fin"? In French, fin means "the end" but I meant it in my head as if Jesus was incompletely finishing His work on the cross.

Thankfully, Jesus paid the price for our sin and completed His work on the cross. He also set an example of working even when things are hard, even when the results don't affect us, when we don't reap the benefits or understand the purpose or when we're dog-tired. Christ's work on the cross is a reminder to me that we can face the hard things in life and that we are to do our best-not for ourselves, but for Him.

I am not afraid of hard work and I refuse to be lazy. I always do my best, but whose glory is it for? I have to be careful in my heart not to get prideful about working hard-it is God who is always at work in me. It is God who must receive the glory and ALL results are His. We are supposed to work hard  in everything as working for the Lord. We are to bring Him glory in everything we do.  However, nothing I do is achieved on my own-to God be the glory!

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.-Isaiah 53:10-11 

rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man,-Ephesians 6:7 

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.-Colossians 3:17 

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.-1 Corinthians 10:31