Sunday, September 19, 2010

NEHUSHTAN




I’ve decided to quit an endeavor like my little friend in kindergarten who wanted to give up on school after seven days. If you read my blog on Quitting, then you may know what I’m talking about. That event has turned out smoothly for the little guy and he is acclimating well. I received a picture the other day to hang on my fridge.
There are times, however, when quitting a project may be the wisest choice. Seasons end, for one; effectiveness is another. If we feel like we are pounding a square peg into a round hole. A new phrase that is buzzing around of late is “how’s that working out for ya?” The truth is, it may not be working out and walking away is the best option.
There are many reasons why we may hang on to something. A big motivator is money, or power. If you are like me with a strong dose of loyalty, hanging on is our best trait. It also could be our undoing if God is trying to get us to close shop. He never called us to hang onto worthless idols. Sometimes it is hard to tell if the thing needs more staying power or the courage to say, “Enough.” Let’s move on.
In 2 Kings 18:4, King Hezekiah smashes a sacred icon created by Moses. It happens in Numbers 21, where the Israelites complained about living conditions [again] so God sent venomous snakes into the camp. Moses crafts this bronze snake, so when bitten people look upon it, they are healed. Silly people attribute the healing to the icon rather than to God. As the years pass, they start burning incense to it and reverencing the created thing.
Hezekiah says “Enough.” He breaks it into pieces. Sometimes we need to walk away from a project we are working on because it has sucked all the life out of us. Other times, we may need to let go of the first thing, so that God can bring in the second. Either way it would be silly to continue to keep working for the sake of money, power or even loyalty if strife is the result.
Now in the first blog, I talked about starting a project where we may be tempted to give up too quickly. Today, I am talking about a project that needs to die. [John 12:24] Nor am I talking about marriage. That is a vow and needs real commitment, walking away is never the best option.
Some endeavors may need only a paradigm shift to reset the course. Others need more than an overhaul because they were never set on eternal values. Wisdom knows the difference. And that is why we pray.

No comments: