I’m getting busier as I grow older. Obligations are increasing in number, importance and urgency. Maybe the world won’t end if I “osha” Joy by not finishing this article in time 👀, but it might end if I’m the CS and somehow forget to import drugs or vaccines for a vulnerable population.
The outer world somehow moves too fast. School, CU, social life, family, etc. Recall the meme: “me trying to study, drink enough water, keep my mental health, get money…” For trying to follow all the gurus from fitness to school to career to finances to relationships and volunteering in ten other places.
This becomes the state of your inner world. As many remark, “it’s all empty inside”. You become an overdrawn account. When a well is overdrawn, all that remains is the muddled water at the bottom that no one wants to drink. The inevitable then happens ~ you sink.
In the pursuit of our goals (which really is trying to gain the whole world), we lose our very soul. When we let our lives be fully occupied by an endless list of the things we should do, we will have no space to set our inner lives in order. We make ourselves too vulnerable since we are now defined by the public world. It becomes a source of purpose and meaning. How can we keep from being corrupted by the very things we aspire and wish for?
A look at the king Saul gives a picture of the consequences. King Saul exemplifies a driven individual whose relentless pursuit of power ultimately leads to his downfall. His inability to maintain an ordered life resulted in impatience and anger, driving him to irrational decisions, such as obsessively chasing David to eliminate perceived threats to his throne. This chaotic existence, marked by fear and insecurity, caused Saul to lose sight of his divine calling and led to his tragic end, illustrating how being driven can overshadow one’s purpose and spiritual health.
In contrast, John the Baptist embodies a strong commitment to his divine mission, rooted deeply in God. His ministry’s conclusion did not crush him; instead, he reverently acknowledged Christ’s supremacy, famously stating that he must decrease for Christ to increase. This humility and clarity of purpose reflect a well-ordered inner life, allowing him to embrace his role as a forerunner of Christ without bitterness or jealousy.
Before we get into the golden cages of our dream lives: wealth, a partner and a family, a plum job, fame and recognition of sorts etc; Order your private world. Build your security and foundation in Christ. All else is sinking sand. Even when that final day comes, lives built on anything else won’t withstand the waves and the storm which is God’s judgment.
The world will change and our externals will change. Our public life takes many shapes but the internal core remains. That’s what we should demand remains consistent. That we retain inner harmony, singleness of purpose and purity of intention. It’s that harmony that we can translate into the world. That’s what remains when all else is falling apart. When the success of life makes people elevate us to legendary heights.
Without this harmony, we’ll live barren lives. We’ll be busy bodies running after one goal to the next to give us a sense of purpose. We’ll be devastated when anything goes wrong in our external world since we have no drive within, we have no roots and are easily tossed back and forth by the winds of life.
Let us move from the strength and the resolve within, to living for God and glorifying Him. Let us continually prioritize meditating on God’s purpose for us. Let us rest on nothing else but Christ. Glory comes and goes. Let not trials or victory move us away from our foundation in Christ. And on the day of battle, we shall not falter. Our strength will not be small.
Cyrus Mwema ◉‿◉