THE PUNCTUATION OF SILENCE AND SOLITUDE – Part 2 of 2

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  (Psalm 46:10 NIV)

If you have a magazine or newspaper handy, try reading any article without using the punctuation marks. It doesn’t make much sense does it? It all becomes a hectic string of words. The meaning is lost. It lacks direction. The purpose of punctuation in a piece of writing is to guide the reader into the true meaning of the words and phrases; through it we understand. Punctuation also gives life and purpose to the words. Next time you see your favorite actor or actress on television, notice how cleverly they use timing -- pauses and spaces -- to give the words their meaning and power.

Punctuation is a helpful way of thinking about Jesus’ relationship with silence and solitude. Jesus punctuated His life with silence and solitude. His times alone were the commas, pauses and full stops in the story of His life. They gave the rest of His life its structure, direction and balance. His words and His works were born out of those hours of silent waiting upon God…

Solitude is the place where the whole of our personality and being, seen and unseen, is drawn together in the transforming presence of God’s love. But more than that, the silence of solitude is the silence of eternity. We are drawn into the mystery of something bigger than ourselves. It places us, with all that God has made, in the heart of the Father’s love and presence. It is there that life is renewed, restored and given its true perspective. 

-- David Runcorn in “A Center of Quiet: Hearing God When Life Is Noisy,” 1990

#5947

OPPORTUNITY, DECISION AND LEGACY

“Then Jesus said to the crowd, ‘If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow Me.’”  (Luke 9:23 NLT)

In his classic book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” author Steven Covey begins by asking us, the readers, to imagine a series of our friends standing to speak at our own memorial service. The stories we would like them to tell, Covey suggests, and the achievements we would want to see referenced, amount to a good starting place when we consider our long-term goals.

It doesn’t matter if we are twelve, thirty-five, sixty-eight, or pushing ninety, each one of us has the privilege and the opportunity to engage the time we have available with the conscious application of meaning and purpose…

For me, three distinct certainties emerge: 1) Each moment holds the possibility of fullness; that is our opportunity. 2) Each day can be a gift we share with a needy world; that is our decision. 3) Each lifetime bears the fruit of those daily decisions; that will be our legacy. 

-- Adapted from “Get Real: A Spiritual Journey for Men” by Derek Maul

#5732

A SEARCH FOR MEANING

“Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.”  (John 17:3 NIV)

It is not only those who are growing old, finding the shadows of life lengthening, who are in search of meaning; there is a desire in every human being to find some kind of unity and coherence, some meaning in the diverse experiences of life. All of us instinctively want to find some kind of key that will unlock the secret and meaning of good days and bad, joy and sorrow, youth and old age, sickness and health, life and death. We want some kind of framework of understanding within which we can find perspective, and be freed from the delusion of confusing that which is truly important with the monumental trivia of life. It is, I think, only the overview of faith that can provide for us this insight into life, this meaning of life. As Dag Hammarskjold recalled in his book, “Markings”, “On the day I first really believed in God, for the first time life made sense to me and the world had meaning.” 

-- John Powell in “A Reason to Live! A Reason to Die!”

#5375

THE MEANING OF LIFE

“Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”  (John 8:12 ESV)

Like most living legends, Julius Erving (Dr. J) is often asked about the greatest highlight of his career. Though Dr. J enjoyed one of the greatest careers in NBA history with over 30,000 points scored, he likes to tell others what went on in his heart.

“At age 29 I realized I was looking good on the outside but was hitting a lot of peaks and valleys on the inside.” He says, “After searching for the meaning of life for over ten years, I found the meaning in Jesus Christ. When I gave my life to Christ, I began to understand my true purpose for being here. It’s not to go through life and experience as many things as you possibly can and then turn to dust and be no more. The purpose of life is to be found through having Christ in your life, and understanding what His plan is and following that plan.”

Surely, God blessed Dr. J in basketball and in the game of life.  

-- Rod Handley, Elliot Johnson, and Gordon Thiessen in “Character Counts for Athletes”

#5212

 

SEARCH FOR PURPOSE

“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You.”  (Psalm 139:13-18 NKJV)

Our search for purpose seems coded into the fabric of our being. We are wired to live a meaningful existence, but we can’t begin to discover what that purpose is unless we know the One who created us for a purpose. …

Every search for purpose is meant to lead us to the One who gave us the drive to search. Seeking meaning must take us to the Maker of all things. Understanding our purpose begins with knowing the One who put eternity in people’s hearts. 

-- Rob Fuquay in “Which Way, Lord?”

#4891

SPIRITUAL FREEDOM

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”  (Galatians 5:13-14 NIV)

We who lived in concentration camps can remember those who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread.  They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way...  It is this spiritual freedom which cannot be taken away that makes life meaningful and purposeful. 

-- Viktor Frankl 

#4880

CO-LABORERS WITH GOD

“For we are laborers together with God…”  (1 Corinthians 3:9a)

Our union with God -- His presence with us, in which our aloneness is banished and the meaning and full purpose of human existence is realized -- consists chiefly in a conversational relationship with God while we are each consistently and deeply engaged as His friend and co-laborer in the affairs of the kingdom of the heavens. 

-- Dallas Willard in “Hearing God”

#4860

NOW THAT’S GOOD NEWS

“Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the LORD, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day -- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.”  (2 Timothy 4:8 NIV)

Nothing can compare with all that is ours in Christ when we find salvation. Forgiveness. Justification. Adoption. Eternal life. What a glorious life the Gospel offers to those who are searching for purpose and meaning or to those who have found that materialism and sensual pleasure are not the answer to the deepest yearnings of the heart.

The crowning glory of salvation is promised when we enter into the presence of the King. We have a home in heaven reserved for us and awards that await us. No wonder the Gospel is “good news.”

-- Billy Graham


#4768

A GREAT CLOUD OF WITNESSES

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,...”  (Hebrews 12:1 NIV)

Geddes MacGregor in “The Rhythm of God” tells of a priest who, when asked, “How many people were at the early celebration of the Eucharist last Wednesday morning?” replied, “There were three old ladies, the janitor, several thousand archangels, a large number of seraphim, and several million of the triumphant saints of God.” Such a 'cloud of witnesses' answers a deep human urge to be part of something larger, to not stand alone, to give our little lives meaning. One drop of water, left alone, evaporates quickly. But one drop of water in the immense sea endures.

-- Kathy Coffey in “God in the Moment: Making Every Day a Prayer”


#4707

THE LOSS OF MEANING

“Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” (Proverbs 22:6 NLT)

It was my generation, and the generation that preceded me, that forgot.  The younger generation is not primarily to be blamed.  Those who are struggling today, those who are far away and doing that which is completely contrary to the Christian conscience, are not first to be blamed.  It is my generation, and the generation that preceded me, who turned away.  Today we are left, not only with a religion and a church without meaning, but... with a culture without meaning.

-- Francis Schaeffer in “Death in the City”

#4373

BEACONS OF LIGHT

The concept that Christ, working through His people, can be the transformer of culture strikes at the heart of Jesus' words in Matthew 5:13-16 where Jesus tells us that we, His followers, are to be salt and light.  Salt transforms the physical properties of that which it touches.  It brings out the goodness in food and was used as a preservative that kept meats from spoiling.  It is essential for life and it has certain healing properties.  Jesus had all of this and more in mind when He challenged His followers to be salt.  Imagine the impact that the church -- and we as individual Christians -- might have on our culture if we were truly being the salt of the earth!  What would this look like?  And what of light?  We are called to be the light of the world -- a city set upon a hill that cannot be hidden.  A flashlight illuminates the right path through the woods on a dark night, showing the potential pitfalls along the way.  A lighthouse offers guidance and warning to keep the ships from certain peril.  A night-light brings comfort to my daughter as she goes to sleep each night.  Daylight allows us to see the world as it really is.  There seems to be no shortage of dark places in our world -- where the blind seem to lead the blind, or where people live in fear, or are in constant danger of shipwreck.  How important that there should be beacons of light, showing compassion, care, and a purposeful and illuminated life for others to see.

-- Adam Hamilton in “Confronting the Controversies”

#4348

LETTING GO

“Looking at [the rich young ruler], Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, ‘One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’ But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.”  (Mark 10:21-22)


Some of you know you can’t find satisfaction in a box. You can’t buy happiness off a rack or order it off the internet or drive it off a lot.


“They exchange their Glory for an image of a bull, which eats grass.” (Psalm 106:20) That’s just not a good trade. Have you exchanged the glory of God for a car that can really handle the corners? Have you exchanged the glory of God for a job that He hasn’t called you to, but pays really well? Have you exchanged the glory of God for a house that has all the upgrades? These things are fine and good, but we have turned good things into God things. Fans of Jesus hold back because they’re afraid they will miss out. Followers of Jesus go all in and find that when they finally let go, they discover what they really wanted all along.


I wonder what happened to the rich young ruler. He walked away sad, but that’s all we know. I wonder if he went on to become a richer older ruler.”


-- Kyle Idelman in Not a Fan: Follower’s Journal




#3886

COME AND SEE

From the depths of my soul, I desire for people to love and to be loved, to experience a sense of purpose from serving others, and to believe that their life matters.  I want people to feel connected, immersed in community, surrounded and sustained through all the setbacks and celebrations of living.  I genuinely desire for them to discover the inner life, and to learn to ease the suffering of greed and the pain of empty strivings.  I want them to discover that love is the better way, that patterns of violence and manipulation can be interrupted, that loneliness can be overcome and suffering relieved, and that there is a depth to life that is sacred and holy and worthy of exploration.

The spiritual life changes us and moves us from agitated to stillness, from anger to peace, from distressed about our own situations to compassionate about the circumstances of others.  I want people to discover life with God.

I want people to flourish, and for people to feel that life is worth living and people are worth loving and God is worth trusting.  I don't try to force anyone into a mold.  I don't want others to make all the choices I've made.  But I want them not to be alone, and to know that God loves them and that the things that matter most -- love, hope, peace, purpose -- are attainable when we open our hearts to God and follow the way we see in Jesus.  In Christ, a well-known road takes us to unknown places of enchantment, mystery, and meaning.

In my own way, always and everywhere for a long as I live, I want to say, "Come and see.  Come and explore grace, kindness, peace, humility, and hope.  See what it's like to make a difference and to let Christ interweave our lives into the fabric of community.  Come and see."

-- Robert Schnase in Five Practices of Fruitful Living


#3464

PURPOSE, MEANING AND DIRECTION

One of the earmarks of any person who has come into a viable and meaningful relationship with God as his heavenly Father is an attitude of quiet contentment with life. Gone are the emptiness and frustration of a pointless existence. In its place there are purpose and meaning and direction in all one does.

-- W. Phillip Keller in SERENITY: Finding God Again For The First Time


#3438

REKINDLE OUR PASSION

Dear God, too many of us tend to live mediocre and passionless spiritual lives. Rekindle our passion for you today, Lord. Enter our minds and hearts with refreshing impact. Stir us in such a way that we become anxious to live with meaning and in the context of your victorious love. Amen.

-- Derek Maul in Get Real: A Spiritual Journey for Men Leader's Guide


#3067

TWO ALTERNATIVES

I invite you to consider two alternatives and their consequences. One of them, to paraphrase atheist Bertrand Russell, is "You are the product of causes that have no purpose or meaning. Your origin, your growth, your hopes, fears, loves, beliefs are the outcome of accidental collections of atoms. No fire, heroism, or intensity of thought or feeling can preserve your life from beyond the grave. All the devotion, all the inspiration, all the labor of all the ages are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system. The whole temple of human achievement must inevitably be buried in the debris of a universe in ruins. That's what we're all headed for."

Or you can choose this: "You are the uniquely designed creation of a thoroughly good and unspeakably creative God. You are made in His image, with a capacity to reason, choose, and love that sets you above all other life forms. You will not only survive death, but you yourself were made to bear an eternal weight of glory you cannot now even fathom and you will one day know."

 -- John Ortberg in Faith & Doubt

#2996

YOU ARE SIGNIFICANT

Emily in Our Town who signs her address as:
            Grovers Corners
            New Hampshire
            United States of American
            Western Hemisphere
            Planet Earth
            Solar System
            The Universe
            Mind of God
            In the mind of God… that's about as significant as you can get, whether you sit at a typewriter, behind the wheel of a bus, at the desk in a classroom, in a chair by your kitchen table… or lay in bed and pray.  Your life is hidden with Christ.  You enrich His inheritance.  You are His ambassador.  In Him your life has depth and meaning and purpose, no matter what you do.
            Peter Kreeft has said, "The point of this life…is to become the person God can love perfectly, to satisfy His thirst to love.  Being counts more than doing, the singer more than the song.  We had better stop looking for escape hatches, for this is our hatchery."
            It's my prayer that… you will discover the significance that has been yours all along as a child of the King.  You may not be able to know the meaning of every event, but you can know that every event is meaningful.
            And you are significant.

-- Joni Earkeckson Tada in Glorious Intruder

#2983