Gone

Lately, I can't help but hit "back" on the CD player in my car to hear the song "Gone" by Switchfoot played for the 4th, 5th and 6th time. It's one of those catchy "head bopping" songs, that when it's over turns out to be a real eye opener. Basically the song is talking about how our life is so quick, and we are mostly living it like we "are immortal"- like we have all the time in the world, and also wasting our lives on things that are worthless and don't matter at all. The more I live, the more I see this all around me. We waste so much time, but yet we spend SO much $$ and concern on ways and things to make us feel younger and look younger. I work in an environment where I see people spending hundreds of dollars on themselves, just to look better (and then have to spend the same amount in 6 weeks). In the magazines, Kim Kardashian was noted to have spent millions on her (2nd) wedding day. We live for lattes, the latest trends, video games, decor ideas, etc,etc.. But who promises us tomorrow? No one. What are we doing with today? That is something I've been thinking about a lot lately. Funny how God can use something as small as a song to get our attention, huh? 

What are the things that really matter? Well, I believe God has something to say about this. 

And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." Luke 10:27

Love God. Love People. Sounds simple, right? Yes, it is actually. Easy? About as easy and juggling three elephants. There are many references in the Bible that talk about loving God and people, it's clearly a huge theme. Jesus Christ died the most horrendous death in history to save us, out of Love for God the Father and us. That's enough to make me stop playing that Switchfoot song again, so I can stop and think.

Yesterday I was thinking about all of this again, and when my husband came home I asked him a question regarding an  article I read about personality types. The article talked about the difference between a people-oriented type, and a task-oriented type. On first glance I thought "oh, certainly I'm a people oriented type!" but after reading further I thought, "oh... I'm definitely more task-oriented" and it made me think about how I'm doing with living life for eternity (think of the "Gone" song) and how I'm loving God and people (re-read the verse)... Uh-oh....
My husbands response to my question  of whether or not he thought I was more people or task oriented, (because, your spouse knows you better than anyone) was not exactly what I wanted to hear: "I'd say you are more task-oriented, babe". Drat.

The problem is that I can put my tasks before the people in my life (and my Lord). I'm very thankful that God knows my heart, but I fear that I have hurt people because they can see accomplishments getting in the way of how or when I love them, make sense? With a task oriented person, there is a great danger in people feeling unloved or left out due to schedules, tasks and a busyness that comes from being this personality type. But this is never how I intend to make people feel. Yet, I'm thankful to have been shown this flaw (in case you were wondering if I had any *ha ha*) because I want to live life for eternity. Jesus warned me that tomorrow has enough troubles of it's own, and like with everything, He is right. I want to plan for today and eternity, not tomorrow. See the difference?  I hope you have been challenged by reading this. We MUST live for what's important! The world can suck us into a vacuum of selfishness and draw us into things that DO. NOT. MATTER. Friends, Christ is NEVER going to ask you if you wore your makeup everyday, or if you didn't wear white after labor day, or if you made sure the dishes got cleaned everyday, or if you made it to every game practice and the list goes on and on in our lives of things that we get caught up in that He couldn't care less about.
I'm still evaluating what things in my life I need to sacrifice for Him or the people I love. What are you going to do?
Thanks for listening,
Love- Rachel