It was a family gathering at my other brother, Larry's house. The football game was on. Now at this time, Larry's main television has more remotes than God ever intended. I grabbed one of the extras. As Larry was trying to adjust the television, so was I! He would change the channel and so would I. Finally he looked around in frustration to see little brother smiling--holding a remote.
I was reminded of this as I sit in my daughter's house. We are having a great time holding the new grandson, Carter. Beside me are three remotes. It takes that many to adjust the television, sound, etc. I am the first up each morning so I had to have the short course in remotes.
I still tell my children that when I was growing up (the youngest), I WAS the remote.
I think our culture has remote overload. We are controlled by too many cultural devices in our world. We are tugged by work. We are tugged by family. We are tugged by the church. We find ourselves wanting to disconnect from all. Surely all this technology was not designed to make life more complicated. It was to make it easier. But it has gotten out of control---as our life can be at times!
It is interesting to read the life of Jesus. Jesus would go out to the remote places to pray. (Mark 1:35 or Luke 5:16). Even in Jesus' time, Jesus knew the value of disconnecting with the world in order to connect with God. It was after this time of prayer that Jesus was then ready to sort out the day that the world had to offer. What would your life be like if you began your day with the world's remotes OFF and God's remote ON?
Try this. Get in the car and leave the radio off. Get up in the morning and spend some time in quiet. Be still with God. Or in the evening, find a place and time to just breathe. Make time tending your soul.
There is an old hymn that says, "It is well with my soul." If you read the verses of the hymn, life is in a turmoil. Life is even coming to an end. However, the chorus reminds us--it is well with my soul.
Pray for me as I pray for you.
In the Master's Name,
Dr. M. Jack O'Dell
www.midweekmanna.com
www.stlukesimpson.org
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