3.14.25
Good morning!
The golden calf, Exodus 32, a terribly misunderstood passage from the simplest reading. What was it that made the people corner Aaron and demand that he build them a golden calf (Ex. 32:1)? Were they scared? Bored? Lost priority? It’s not like they didn’t have plenty to do...They are newly married, there were 53 Mishpatim/Judgments to learn and practice towards one another, but they became idol (pun intended) and they lost track of what they were supposed to be doing in preparation for the return of their savior, Moses. This loss of focused priorities created idle hands and a dangerous substitute for the Real McCoy that would have to be 'unwound' over time.
There are many golden calves/massekah egel in this world. Objects or events that start out as good intentions, but then, over time, become something completely different; turning into a catastrophe with many people getting hurt and losing their lives.
What if you found out, in any of the five categories of life (spiritual, emotional, physical, relational, or financial) that you had a golden calf(s)? What would you do? How would you undo what you've done? Would you even try? Would you see the purpose? Enquiring minds want to know.
By Golden calves I mean things that enter into our lives that keep us from doing what we’re supposed to be doing. For the children of Israel it was understanding the invitation from their new husband to be intimately close with no barriers (Ex. 25:8). However, like many of us, we, speaking of me, myself and I, lose our priorities and our focus.
I don’t know if your life ever seems like you have no time or that the treadmill just keeps running and running and running and you’re running as fast as you can, begging for help and you just can’t seem to get your priorities focused on what needs to be done? Living the 5 category rat race, spinning plates just to keep up with perceived needs? What is the culprit behind the inability to stay focused? Let's go back to 'math class formulas, as we've done in the past (e.g. Expectations - reality = Frustration).
If this sounds like you, of course not. Let me rephrase that...if you know a 'friend' who may be an individual who is complaining that he/she doesn't have enough time to get it all done, then maybe this hard hitting advice will be good for 'them' (Rom. 2:1-4 :-).
Have you ever noticed, with your friends, that when it comes to time and our relationship with God, it always seems that God gets squeezed out and not our other activities (Matt. 6:33). He always gets the back burner instead of the front burner. I guess your friends are just too busy! At least that's what they say. The problem when people say they’re too busy, is reality, it's a pseudo-attention grabber, that too often it's a boast disguised as a complaint. Huh? Yeppers. when we hear that, it’s almost like a backhanded compliment of self importance...because I’m so busy everything needs my attention. If I don't do it, it'll never get done! I’m so valuable! I’m so significant! I’m so in demand, but the true interpretation of this statement is that those of us that use this excuse are really very weak. We are lazy. And we are out of control and we are afraid.
Lost focus - busyness = laziness
Busy = Weakness
Let me explain how busy equals laziness...the result of your friend's laziness came about because of their lack of priority thinking, indiscriminate action, lack of priorities, clarity, and proper planning. We need to help our friend, don't we?
Busy = weakness
Busy equals weakness because you’re using it as an excuse to avoid what’s hard and uncomfortable. The priority thing you really need to do is probably harder than checking email, again and again and again or commenting on Facebook or saying yes to the immediate; that 'just a minute' distraction. Besides weakness, misplaced busyness also equals fear because you’re using it to avoid yourself. Huh?
misplaced busyness = fear
We know that our friends are literally afraid of illness of every kind as well as quietness and solitude. Hence, this is why so many of our friends walk around in the room or in their own house and immediately turn on the TV, the computer, or the radio...they don’t want to be by themselves. Consequently, they fill up every moment with busy, busy, busyness.
A college study from many years back concluded that people would prefer electric shock to being without distractions. For some reason, most people hate silence. We seek stimulation constantly; most of your friends hate silence and being still for any amount of time. These friends don’t know who they are when they aren’t busy. That’s fear!
Busy equals out of control. You friends don't lack time, they lack skills, tools in their tool bag and priorities. Some people are addicted to their struggle. They love going around saying I’m so crazy busy. I have no time. This is like me walking around, shooting myself in the foot and then bragging about how great of a marksman I am (LOL). It only proves that I am, I mean my friends are out of control. So get a grip, friends.
Over the years I've been able to talk to highly successful people in every walk of life, ironically and strangely, when you talk to high profile CFO‘s, millionaires, billionaires, they never complain about how busy they are. Why is that? Because while they definitely have a full schedule, they know how to take their busyness and transform that schedule into focused results. They know how to prioritize their schedule and that's why successful people don’t get it all done. Huh? Nope, they don't. They get the right things done! They are the masters of their time and they are the ones who enjoy their time the most.
The bottom line is that productivity is a choice.
Priorities + immediate action = productivity
Productivity doesn't just naturally happen. If your friends think it will just magically happen, it won't, because their to-do-list will just get longer and longer and left unbridled; it will run amok. What your friend needs to do is work at honing their productivity muscle, and make the right choices for their life not to allow the negative 'math formula' drive them.
Happy preparation day & Shabbat shalom!
BTW, last but not least...if you want to know more on how to help your friends quit making golden calves :-) tune in tonight for the zoom call. I'm prioritizing it for my friends.
Passover and Unleavened Bread are coming soon!
Shalom
There are many golden calves/massekah egel in this world. Objects or events that start out as good intentions, but then, over time, become something completely different; turning into a catastrophe with many people getting hurt and losing their lives.
What if you found out, in any of the five categories of life (spiritual, emotional, physical, relational, or financial) that you had a golden calf(s)? What would you do? How would you undo what you've done? Would you even try? Would you see the purpose? Enquiring minds want to know.
By Golden calves I mean things that enter into our lives that keep us from doing what we’re supposed to be doing. For the children of Israel it was understanding the invitation from their new husband to be intimately close with no barriers (Ex. 25:8). However, like many of us, we, speaking of me, myself and I, lose our priorities and our focus.
I don’t know if your life ever seems like you have no time or that the treadmill just keeps running and running and running and you’re running as fast as you can, begging for help and you just can’t seem to get your priorities focused on what needs to be done? Living the 5 category rat race, spinning plates just to keep up with perceived needs? What is the culprit behind the inability to stay focused? Let's go back to 'math class formulas, as we've done in the past (e.g. Expectations - reality = Frustration).
If this sounds like you, of course not. Let me rephrase that...if you know a 'friend' who may be an individual who is complaining that he/she doesn't have enough time to get it all done, then maybe this hard hitting advice will be good for 'them' (Rom. 2:1-4 :-).
Have you ever noticed, with your friends, that when it comes to time and our relationship with God, it always seems that God gets squeezed out and not our other activities (Matt. 6:33). He always gets the back burner instead of the front burner. I guess your friends are just too busy! At least that's what they say. The problem when people say they’re too busy, is reality, it's a pseudo-attention grabber, that too often it's a boast disguised as a complaint. Huh? Yeppers. when we hear that, it’s almost like a backhanded compliment of self importance...because I’m so busy everything needs my attention. If I don't do it, it'll never get done! I’m so valuable! I’m so significant! I’m so in demand, but the true interpretation of this statement is that those of us that use this excuse are really very weak. We are lazy. And we are out of control and we are afraid.
Lost focus - busyness = laziness
Busy = Weakness
Let me explain how busy equals laziness...the result of your friend's laziness came about because of their lack of priority thinking, indiscriminate action, lack of priorities, clarity, and proper planning. We need to help our friend, don't we?
Busy = weakness
Busy equals weakness because you’re using it as an excuse to avoid what’s hard and uncomfortable. The priority thing you really need to do is probably harder than checking email, again and again and again or commenting on Facebook or saying yes to the immediate; that 'just a minute' distraction. Besides weakness, misplaced busyness also equals fear because you’re using it to avoid yourself. Huh?
misplaced busyness = fear
We know that our friends are literally afraid of illness of every kind as well as quietness and solitude. Hence, this is why so many of our friends walk around in the room or in their own house and immediately turn on the TV, the computer, or the radio...they don’t want to be by themselves. Consequently, they fill up every moment with busy, busy, busyness.
A college study from many years back concluded that people would prefer electric shock to being without distractions. For some reason, most people hate silence. We seek stimulation constantly; most of your friends hate silence and being still for any amount of time. These friends don’t know who they are when they aren’t busy. That’s fear!
Busy equals out of control. You friends don't lack time, they lack skills, tools in their tool bag and priorities. Some people are addicted to their struggle. They love going around saying I’m so crazy busy. I have no time. This is like me walking around, shooting myself in the foot and then bragging about how great of a marksman I am (LOL). It only proves that I am, I mean my friends are out of control. So get a grip, friends.
Over the years I've been able to talk to highly successful people in every walk of life, ironically and strangely, when you talk to high profile CFO‘s, millionaires, billionaires, they never complain about how busy they are. Why is that? Because while they definitely have a full schedule, they know how to take their busyness and transform that schedule into focused results. They know how to prioritize their schedule and that's why successful people don’t get it all done. Huh? Nope, they don't. They get the right things done! They are the masters of their time and they are the ones who enjoy their time the most.
The bottom line is that productivity is a choice.
Priorities + immediate action = productivity
Productivity doesn't just naturally happen. If your friends think it will just magically happen, it won't, because their to-do-list will just get longer and longer and left unbridled; it will run amok. What your friend needs to do is work at honing their productivity muscle, and make the right choices for their life not to allow the negative 'math formula' drive them.
Happy preparation day & Shabbat shalom!
BTW, last but not least...if you want to know more on how to help your friends quit making golden calves :-) tune in tonight for the zoom call. I'm prioritizing it for my friends.
Passover and Unleavened Bread are coming soon!
Shalom
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