by Elder Peter Lim

Upon seeing the title, you may be thinking ahead that I am writing about something spiritual… as in not letting bad morals into your life that grows into something bigger which starts growing and spreading itself. Hmm, not a bad idea. Maybe in a future article. For now, I am talking about actual weeds that are growing in my back yard. And about the bathroom that needs renovation, and the carpet that needs to get shampooed, and the room that needs to be painted and organized, and the playhouse in the back yard that needs to be completed. These are possibly signs that I’ve been lazy and that I need to get my act together and finish my tasks. Or maybe they are signs that I’ve chosen to use my time doing higher priority tasks. That’s always the struggle for me. I have many hobbies and projects that I’d like to spend more time on, but I can’t get beyond the fact that by spending time doing these things, I would have to give up time serving my family, my church family, or attending church events. Unfortunately, many of us fill our lives with things that don’t have eternal value. And then we spend time and money and effort into maintaining those things that don’t have eternal value.

My goal is not to make anyone feel guilty who skipped out on a church activity or spending time with their spouse or kids but the point I’m trying to make is that we often go through life without even considering what really matters in this life. We often go on cruise control and make decisions without thinking about the values that those choices represent. Do you struggle with these sort of choices too? When you decide to forego a church activity, ministry, or spending time with family, do you do so because you’ve thought through what you are giving up? I’m only partly interested in the final decision as to what you and I choose to do. I’m mainly interested in the thought process and the heart behind the decision. Of course in the end, all things are to be done to the glory of God. This is true whether we decide to go to a church picnic or whether we decide to stay home and fix a sprinkler. I find that if it were not for my own laziness and lack of self-discipline, I would have adequate time to do all those things that I feel like I need to choose between. This humbles me and causes me to be more dependent upon Him who gives me the strength to do all things. Ultimately this causes me to want to excel still more and optimize my life as well as my lifestyle. If you struggle with living your life with excellence for the glory of God, that is a good sign that you are truly a believer. If you don’t struggle with this, you need to ask yourself whether you value the things that God values. I hope my sharing here encourages you to walk closer with Christ.