The Next Decade
Before we helped launch Berean Bible Church, our family attended Vineyard Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. Dave Workman is its lead pastor and I still enjoy following his blog, entitled “What I Meant to Say“. Today was only the second time that I’ve spoken at Berean Bible Church and I can completely relate to the blog’s title. Although I spend a great deal of time in front of a classroom as an IT consultant and trainer, preparing a spiritual talk (still not comfortable calling my end result a “sermon”) is such an entirely different process. For starters, I have no formal theological training. Of course, neither did the 12 men that followed Jesus, save for really great on-the-job training. But with my bookshelves full of Christan books written for the average Christian, none of them put Christianity into neat little boxes that help me communicate spiritual truth. And let’s not forget James 3:1. Still, I’m truly grateful for the experience, because it probably also explains why I struggle sharing my faith in everyday situations.
But, let’s talk for a moment about what I meant to say yesterday.
My primary inspiration today was two things. First, the passage in Colossians 1:15-23 where Paul describes the preeminence (highest rank) of Christ. Second, an excellent article in the USA Today by Rick Hamson, a review of the past decade entitled “A decade that left a mark on U.S. history.” It’s strange to think that modern technology such as Facebook and the iPhone did not exist 10 years ago. And that 10 years from now, the iPhone that I carry, despite its current sophistication, will remind me more of the Atari 2600 console Dylan Lacey has in his basement.
I asked everyone to think first about how old they were and what they were doing 10 years ago. Myself, I was an IT consultant helping rid the world of the Y2K problem that threatened humanity. I was married, but did not yet have children.
Next, I asked everyone to think about how old they will be 10 years from now. What do they hope to do with their lives? Ten years can seem like an eternity, especially if you’re a teen. But speaking as one whose high school graduation was almost 24 years ago, I know from experience that life happens fast. In ten years, I will be 51 years old. Yikes! I will have a 10-year-old son, and 16 and 18 year old daughters. The oldest will be contemplating college, the next big step in her life.
Just a bit further in Paul’s letter to the church at Colosse (Colossians 3:17), he encourages his readers that “whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Everything. Our careers, our families. Not just the activities that we squeeze into an hour on Sunday mornings.
If you couldn’t tell that the new year was approaching, just check out the massive influx of fitness, weight-loss and stop-smoking ads on your television. Yep, it’s time to contemplate the new year. But would you take a minute to pray about your next decade? And pray that Jesus would help you keep him first in all things.
Happy New Year!
