Mark Beeson: Choose Community / Bear One Another's Burdens

When you’re with a kid, you’ve got to ask yourself, “Why?”

Not only are they likely to slow down your game, but think of all the other things you could be doing. Think how much easier everything would be if it was just you: solo-ascent, no one to watch over, no requests to “Hold my hand,” no need to carry pacifying Cheerios snacks secreted away in Zip-lock bags, no car seats, strollers or child-carrying-backpacks and no need to keep saying,“Don’t touch that.”

Kids require attention.

Kids cost.

Everything would be easier without any children around to slow us down, take our hard-earned-money or burden us with their demands for time and consideration.

So ask yourself. “What do I really want?”

If you want life unencumbered and care-free you can turn towards that life and walk that way. If you want to be free of relational demands, you can be.

It’s not that difficult:

- Avoid personal responsibility and commitment. (Never commit to help anyone, or promise to do anything for anyone. That way you'll never have to feel the pressure that someone is depending on you.)

- Don’t get on a team. (Teammates keep expecting you to play your part and do your job. Who needs that?)

- Break your promises, don’t show up on time and when you do finally arrive make it clear to everyone that you’d rather be somewhere else. (Who are these people who act as if you meant it when you said you’d be there and help them? If you kept all the promises you made, you wouldn’t be able to do all of the spontaneous things that you could do if you hadn’t made those promises. I mean, really. Who knew, when you said you’d be there, that American Idol was going to be on? When you promised to serve that weekend, who knew you were going to be able to get tickets to the game? Do people actually think you’re going to do what you said, even if something better comes along? Good grief. People must be stupid.)

- Avoid children. (Young people are so impressionable. Let them hang around and you begin to feel like you should watch what you say, how you act and what you do. Ugh. Who wants to do that? Being an example is so passé. Besides that, it seems like you’re always “on” when you’re with kids. They keep asking, “What’s that?” They say, “Me! Me!” It’s as if they wish to learn to putt for themselves, like they want to learn how to play The Game. Ugh. They are so wearisome.)

- Steer clear of friendship. (Once you have a few friends they begin to think they can help you be “the best you can be.” It’s like they care, or something. Of course, they define “the best you can be,” differently. In your mind, “the best you can be,” is alone, unburdened, uncommitted and free of the entanglements relational integrity demand. Since they don’t know that, friends tend to think your productivity matters, your sense of worth matters, your God-ordained purpose matters and your role in The Story makes an important contribution. They keep asking what you think, how you’re doing and whether they can help you succeed…not realizing your definition of success would mean they stop doing all those things because you just want to be alone - free of their intrusions on your life.)

Really? Is that what you want? Be careful what you ask for; you might get it.

If freedom from responsibility to others, and self-serving isolation are what you want most, beware. If you are longing for a life without others – a life freed from the expectations of friends, family and God – take heed.

You may have been duped.

A life of self-serving, self-absorbed pride is much more like hell than heaven. Get a Bible and check it out for yourself. You were made for community. You have a part in The Play much greater than you’ve imagined. Your role is important, and The Story is enriched when you participate. Your part in God’s Story matters.

It’s not “ease” you want; it’s meaning.
It’s not freedom from responsibility that enriches life; it’s devotion to The Cause for which you were made; it’s commitment to God’s purpose for your life.

At GCC this MOTHER'S DAY weekend, I’ll be inviting you to follow Christ – not because it’s the easy, unburdened life, but because it is the life you’ve always wanted and the life for which you were made.

Choose community. Play your part...and bring someone with you to the services this weekend...even if they're just a kid. Maybe Jesus will help them discover their purpose too.

1 Peter 4:10-11 - “God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God’s generosity can flow through you . . . Are you called to help others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then God will be given glory.”

John 12:27-28 - "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name."