Good morning, Dear Friends,
I ran across an essay not long ago called, “The Sad Fate of the Comma,” and I wonder if you can relate to this. The essay said that in the high-tech, global communication, text-messaging, emailing world, we’ve lost the commas.
The author, Robert Samuelson, said, “I’ve always liked the comma, though I seem to be in a shrinking minority.” He said, “The comma is in retreat, though it is not yet extinct. The only time it’s used in texts or emails is when it’s hit by accident. If this involved only grammar, I imagine I could let it lie. But the comma’s sad fate is a metaphor for something larger: how we deal with the frantic, can’t-wait-a-minute nature of modern life. The comma is, after all, a small sign that flashes, ‘pause.’ It tells the reader to slow down, and think a bit. But we don’t have time for that. In this sense, the comma’s fading popularity is also a social commentary.”
Through technology, people are accomplishing more in less time. But at what price? People admit they are feeling overwhelmed by the multiplicity of their lives. There is a sense of fatigue that comes from multi-tasking. We are often running on empty.
Here is where I hope this will land with you today. There are spiritual disciplines that will lift you, and fill you, when you are running on empty. It may take you a while to develop them, but if you will give God a slice of your time each day, God will use that to build up your personal and spiritual reserves.
As time has often become our most valuable asset, you can start by giving God your first few minutes of the day. It’s a discipline, and you will benefit from it. And Jesus says, “I want that for you, and your heavenly Father who sees you in private will reward you” (Matthew 6:6). The benefit is your confidence will grow. Your inner reserves will deepen. And the faith you need to face life will expand.
Engage in this discipline, and see if God will fill your tank full,
Bruce Jones,
Pastor Imagine Church
