"So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself." 1 Corinthians 3:1,2
The Lord brought this passage to my attention recently. It's not that I haven't read it before. My eyes have passed over and my brain has decoded the words on many occasions. Their impact, however, escaped me until this reading. I've been chewing on them ever since. It would take the Lord to use the debacle with my computer to shed light on their meaning.
Computers are wonderful machines. Their uses and benefits would be too extensive to list here. BUT when they won't perform properly or stop functioning all together, it can turn life upside down. Take for example the pharmacy whose computers went off-line in mid-December. For nearly an hour, the staff could only process purchases for customers who had enough cash to cover their total. Frustration reigned on both sides of the counter. A similar situation occurred in my house which lasted much longer.
My former computer, whose manufacturer shall remain nameless but falls under the category of PC, stopped connecting to the internet in October. It was easy enough to commandeer Curt's computer from time to time for email, but I wasn't able to spend any significant time online. That meant that I was prevented from affecting the monthly updates to the Lifework Forum website. It was difficult to be kept from this regular responsibility so I set about figuring out a way around the impasse.
No, the manufacturer would not/could not offer an easy solution. The computer would have to be sent back to them for an unknown cost and with no guarantee that my files would be safe.
No, the local repairmen couldn't offer anything better.
No, I couldn't access the necessary software from any other computer.
Okay, so the answer would have to be something dramatic. We came to the decision that we were being providentially directed to purchase a new computer. Hallelujah, my two year dream was about to come true.
No, that did not solve the problem.
No, the software that drove the website was not compatible with the new computer.
No, the publisher was not willing/not able to trade the PC version for a Mac version because the software had been updated.
Ah, ha, the old computer mysteriously connected to the internet. I scurried around to revise the necessary pages thinking I could update the website at least once more in the old way and would buy some time as I looked for a long-term resolution.
No, when I was ready to publish the revisions the computer would no longer connect to the internet. I was tired of seeing that little red X.
No, we still didn't have the money or desire to purchase more expensive, complicated software.
To say that I was frustrated would be an understatement. I felt I'd been diligent in trying to sort out the problem. It had been a matter of prayer and effort for quite a while. I just wanted it to be over so that I could carry on with my life. Then came the day when I started to make progress. The Lord made it plain that it was time to let the old computer, software, procedures, expectations, etc. go. The energy I was spending in that direction needed to be released to move in the direction He was laying out for His purposes. That little glimpse began to blossom.
Yes, the "old" is gone.
Yes, God is still in this thing with me and there is a solution.
Yes, I have a new, fancy computer and lots to learn.
Yes, there's a whole cast of characters at the Apple store who can help me - for FREE.
Yes, there's a glimmer of hope for this old lady to become conversant in yet another program.
Yes, I began to make valuable strides.
Yes, hallelujah, the Lifework Forum website is once again up and running. (http://www.LifeworkForum.org)
As I sat back and reveled in the relief of meeting my goal, various thoughts began to connect. It was when I laid my dilapidated PC to rest and turned my attention toward moving forward that I made progress. 1 Corinthians 3 came back into my mind. Perhaps part of the process Paul was outlining, "I do not even judge myself, has to do with dwelling on my sin. Scripture is clear about the need to confess and repent so he can't be espousing the idea that God's people are to avoid any kind of self-evaluation before the heavenly throne. Rather, I suspect we are to make our relationships right with God and then move on in His mercy and grace. Otherwise we can become trapped and/or paralyzed.
That's when I pictured myself in the middle of a very long ladder as when I was cleaning out the gutters last fall. At one point I stopped climbing and I felt how wobbly the ladder was. I looked down and saw how high I was and how hard that asphalt was below me. I considered how easy it would be to fall and began to imagine how painful the broken bones would be. I've been in many places and situations that produced the same results.
Of course, practical wisdom says that when climbing a ladder one needs to keep their eyes directed toward the top, focused on the sought-for goal. Once again Paul comes to mind. Divine wisdom applies that same concept to the process of sanctification.
"Brothers, I do to consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13,14
Thank you, Father, for your Word and the ministrations of your Holy Spirit. Amen
