When Pleasure & Responsibility Collides

I should be almost to my Retired Medic buddy’s house. We are supposed to be going over some routes of our 10 day motorcycle trip.” Should Be” is the key phrase here, kinda like “I coulda been a contenda”. This of course causes my mind to wonder & here I am banging out a quick post for my serenity's sake.

Part of my role as the Lead Follower for Midnight Cry is being president of our Food Outreach: Salt of the Earth. This was started by a couple as a ministry 30 yrs ago & we used to work under them. What they started as gleaning from stores was recently taken over by a big national Food non-profit, like the Borg from Star Trek. The couple decided to retire then & we transitioned to running it.  

It is here where the Pleasure seemed to stop & Responsibility came into the picture like a wrecking ball. What is it that causes the switch to flip? It can’t be $$$, I don’t get paid nothing for any of the work I do…It actually costs me to be the Lead Follower, man I gotta figure out how those guys on TBN get so many planes “Given” to them!

I’m starting to believe the switch gets thrown when someone is in need of whatever it is that you offer. Not simply want’s, that’s too easy. I’m talkin about someone who will go without a meal or can’t get to work w/o their car or their health & well-being is in jeopardy if you don’t act. It’s that pressure to come thru; To Perform that takes the pleasure right out of it! Now how many times have you been told from a pulpit that “You” need to perform? You need to come thru on managing your sin or else? What the Big Guy is gonna stomp me or throw me out and wreck my life like Wreck-It Ralph?

Too often we believe this lie & it takes all the Pleasure out of loving God & being loved by God. It turns Following Jesus into a Responsibility, a chore. I say we throw-up our hands and walk out on that theology! Heretical I know, yet until we do that we will have no Pleasure, no joy in this journey of following The Way. Sure there are serious moments…just read about Peter or Paul’s journeys. You must also look at the marvel of their stories also. They walk in awe and wonder just as we may when we aren’t beholden to our Christian Duty which fits like a straight Jacket. The freedom offered by Jesus is more of a sleeveless shirt in the wind kinda fit. (Don’t forget to pack your rain gear & hip boots…just sayin) We must remember this during these impromptu flash floods.

How you view Father is how you will respond when Responsibility & Pleasure collide. Sure I’d rather be on my scooter already but there was some changes with a new reporting method so I want to get that work done because people need food in our communities. Yet I don’t look at it from a Responsibility or Duty aspect of service, I look at it from a Pleasure or Privileged one. This allows me to find His joy in all things. I would ask from which aspect do you follow JC; From one of Responsibility or one of Pleasure? What happens to you when they collide? Did Jesus do His Fathers will out of Responsibility or Pleasure?

Think About It

Just Steve