Re-connecting the roots before we die

Good morning my friends. Lately I have noticed that life can be so busy that we can get caught up in the doing and forget the reason. It's like when a person stops what they are doing in one room, goes into another room and then forgets why they came into the second room. Come on, admit it, you've done it too. Sometimes the only way you can remember why you went into the second room is to go back to what you were doing to see if you can re-connect with your thought. It is not old age that does this to a person but instead a busy mind and a busy life. We are trying to process too much information.

This happens to us spiritually when we are busy doing and we forget the reason why we are doing. Sometimes we need to go back and re-connect to the roots, remembering where we have come from and how or why we are where we are. This is what Paul does with Titus:

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. (Titus 3:3)

Do you remember what you were before you met Jesus? If you say there wasn't much change in the before and after you are either lying to yourself or you have never met him. Jesus makes a radical change in our perspective, thinking, reaction to things, feelings, behaviour. In fact, it is all made new. We were so ugly from the inside out and no one could help us; no one could save us; no one could change us; no one but Jesus:

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. (vv. 4-5a)

Sometimes in our busyness we forget that we aren't that important, or at least our work, what we are doing, is not all that important. The important thing to Jesus is our relationship with him. Everything else is secondary and is only a result of that relationship. If we allow the work to become more important and we lose the relationship then what we are doing is useless and a big waste of our time and life. We can't allow the busyness of the work rob us of the purpose of it all:

He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. (vv. 5b-7)

Why did our Father do all the things he did for us? What was his motivation? That "we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life". What is the purpose we do what we do? So that others may receive this same incredible gift from our Father; that others would be encouraged and strengthened in this hope; that the whole world would know the love of the Father as demonstrated to us through Jesus the son. Sometimes we need to be reminded. Sometimes we need to go back to remember:

This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. (v. 8)

Everything we do should be bubbling out of our beginning with Jesus. This is our hope in which we have trusted God. It is out of this hope that we are compelled to do the work of our God. This is the hope that is renewed in us daily when we spend time with our Lord. This is the hope that keeps us fresh and invigorated as we wade through the muck and mire of this world. Let us remind each other of the beginning as we sing out to each other in the darkness of the day. Let's stress these things to each other that we might not lose one worker in the difficulty of the task. As Paul told the Ephesians:

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  (Ephesians 5:19-20)

It is good to remember where we have come from and why we are doing what we are doing. Be blessed in your service to the King today and remember!