"Remaining in a Good Place: Willingness" ~ Author Charles L. Robinson Jr.
In this week's devotion, we will briefly view a specific proposition accompanying three questions purposed to help extract truths within the proposition that proposes a simple yet genuine solution to discovery, maintenance, and/or re-discovery of fulfillment (God-willed) within lives. I hope the following exampled narrative and paralleling biblical supportive (for the sake of association and soundness of faith within the below proposition) brings relevant clarity regarding the proposition for betterment of lives.
EXAMPLED NARRATIVE: All exercise "doing something in life" (minimal or major) with typically the hope for "the something being done" providing a sense of value in return. For example: Something as simple as a nearby park experience consisting of numerous nuances such as jogging, walking, biking, bird feeding, playground, ball games, fishing, camping, lake viewing, etc. In the midst of the conglomeration of nuances, bird feeding happens to naturally bring personal sense of fulfillment. Unfortunately, the nearby park announces that bird feeding is to be discontinued until further notice. However, due to the park being geographically convenient, a person still goes to the nearby park as a personal life outlet now solely lake viewing sensing emptiness. The person continues to schedule lake viewing at the park (out of habit- accustomedness) and one day another person approaches the lake and mentions how much they miss bird feeding to the person sensing emptiness. At that moment, the person sensing emptiness discovers that they continued to keep coming to the nearby park merely out of accustomedness of geographical convenience and has allowed their mere habit of convenience (their accustomedness) attempt to fulfill their appeasement that really came from bird feeding. The person's simple yet genuine solution to re-discovering fulfillment (filling in their emptiness) was to simply continue-remain in feeding birds. The person disregarded their misplacement of fulfillment within the nearby park and became willing to continue feeding birds (at the expense of going to another park not so geographically convenient.) that naturally created fulfillment.
PROPOSITION: "Doing things from mere habit (accustomedness) looking for accustomedness (the things you do from mere habit) to provide personal fulfillment rather than remaining in your willingness (God willed) and allowing your willingness (God willed) naturally bring fulfillment".
THREE ACCOMPANYING QUESTIONS TO EXTRACT TRUTHS FOR DISCOVERY, MAINTENANCE, AND RE-DISCOVERY OF FULFILLMENT:
1. What did the person become accustomed to? Geographical convenience.
2. What was the person's accustomedness (geographical convenience) looking for? A sense of fulfillment from feeding birds (i.e.- looking for fulfillment in the incorrect place - misplacement. The nearby park discontinued bird feeding.)
3. Where did the person's fulfillment really exist? In the person's willingness to simply keep-remain in feeding birds (even if not being as geographically convenient.) This can be challenged that there was willingness to also remain in solely lake viewing. Yes, willingness does exist in solely lake walking but there was emptiness within the willingness of solely lake viewing.
Let's quickly look at some paralleling biblical supportive narrative(s) of the Disciples of Christ lives that keeps this proposition within association and soundness of faith. PARALLELING BIBLICAL SUPPORTIVE:
1. What did the Disciples of Christ become accustomed to? After initially accepting their calling to follow Jesus Christ, the Disciples "in the midst of doing ministry" became exposed to the conglomeration of nuances of ministry desiring the perception of ministry's subject (community) to determine their personal value on a platform of comparison-competing. The Disciples were attempting to achieve personal senses of attention, acknowledged adequacy, and acceptance through being measured up against each other (and others) as followers of Christ.
2. What was the Disciples of Christ accustomedness (comparison-competing) looking for? In the midst of the Disciples comparison-competition, they were looking for fulfillment of personal attention, personal acknowledged adequacy, and personal acceptance. No different than other comparison-competing contexts, if the participant in the comparison-competition is perceived as favorable amongst their peer group then the participant develops a sense of self -worth (personal attention, acknowledged adequacy, and acceptance.) However, Jesus denied this means (comparison-competing) as a means for his Disciples to develop personal senses of attention, adequacy, and acceptance as followers of him (Christ) which creeps in and unfortunately becomes a nuance of ministry that it's subject (community) sometimes becomes adherents to (this is proven later in biblical times with the community of believers -congregation becoming adherents to the divisions and quarrelling between Apollos, Cephas, and Paul in Corinth.) Keep in mind that comparison -competing can be biblically lawful, however, Jesus denies comparison-competing that moves into lawlessness.)
3.Where did the Disciples of Christ fulfillment really exist? The Disciples fulfillment of sensing personal attention, acknowledged adequacy, and acceptance in their willingness (God willed.) Jesus reminds them that their self-worth is not discovered in their status amongst each other or others (using the analogy of a child to prove this) but in their simple willingness to follow him (Christ) in their perspective callings (their own labor for Christ just as they first simply decided to follow him - no strings attached.) In naturally following Christ doing what they were suppose to do for Christ, was simply the place whereby they naturally maintained achieved attention, acknowledged adequacy, and acceptance. They grew from being conscious of the perception amongst each other and others to gain senses of self-worth to becoming extremely secure in simply following Jesus being their source of self-worth that even when their willingness was counted to their shame, they desired their willingness to be counted as shame for the sake of simply following Jesus. It can be challenged that willingness existed in comparison-competing within the Disciples and willingness existed division-quarrelling of the Corinthians. Yes, willing existed in comparison, competing, division, and quarrelling but there was no sense of genuine fulfillment within the willingness (not God-willed.)
I encourage you all to remain conscious of the areas in your lives that you naturally possess willingness (God willed.) In doing so, you can greater discover, maintain, and/or re-discover genuine fulfillment within your lives. Keep in mind, new fulfillments from new willingness (God willed) can be discovered in your lives which is tested with time. Time always discloses willingness verse mere accustomedness. Maybe the person at the park eventually gains new fulfillments through willingness to develop new relationships while bird feeding? What we do know is this, the person had to re-discover personal fulfillment by departing solely lake viewing and restart bird feeding. We know that the Disciples of Christ discovered new fulfillments in willingness to be perceived as shameful to community and we know that their willingness to discontinue comparisons-competition amongst each other and others in ministry was a great place that helped them maintain genuine fulfillment. Remain in the good place of willingness (God willed.) Please share this devotion with others for the personal encouragements and God's glory!
Matthew 18:1-5
1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:3-4,8
Acts 4:41
Isaiah 1:19
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