Striving
The priest that was officiating the funeral of my deceased friend, started with a saying that I considered profound. But before I share that with you, I need to describe my friend’s life a little more.
Chris was a hardworking man but he was definitely a people person. He would, during his work day, walk around and talk to a number of people in casual conversation. I can’t tell you how many times I’d run into him in the bathroom and he’d crack a joke about that being the place for people to hang out. Also, based on my experience, if there was any gossiping going on, Chris would be plugged in before most people. He developed and fostered relationships with anyone and everyone.
But, to the best of my knowledge and recollection (I only knew him for the last 20 years of his life), he was content doing his job and did not desire or pursue advancement into management.
Back to the priest. He started his message with a phrase something like “some people aspire to success, others aspire to faith.” The point being that Chris wasn’t as interested in job advancement as he was in building relationships with others. That was definitely the stepping point for several stories about how he made friends, told jokes and established his communication network.
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” - Matthew 5:13-16 ESV
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” - Matthew 22:36-40
“And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” - Mark 16:15-16
As a society, we tend to focus on the advancement results that people obtain - the promotions, the elected offices, the sporting trophies, etc. But nowhere in the three verses above, is any of that mentioned.
“Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” - 2 Corinthians 5:11-15, 20-21
God, work through me.
