THE GIVE AND TAKE OF LIFE

Mark W. Pfeifer

Life is something with which we all interact…like a dance, riding a horse, finishing concrete or swimming in a current.

Life is an interplay with people and situations where we encounter things that are alive and fluid.  They have a mind of their own.

It’s give-n-take.

It’s knowing when to act and when to rest…when to press in and when to relax…when to speak and when to listen…when to invoke your will and when to accept the inevitable.

I thought of making bread and churning butter.  There’s a time to agitate a situation for a desired outcome and a time to stop and allow things to happen on their own.  Sometimes we act and sometimes we watch.

Both are important!

Regardless, we are actively engaged in an important process whether we are working in a situation or watching it develop on its own.

It’s like pouring concrete.  There’s a time to work fast and hard so it doesn’t set up and then there’s a time to wait and allow it to set up in its own time.

Concrete is like a living substance that tells you when it’s ready.  Not the other way around.  You have to know when it’s appropriate to work and when it’s appropriate to sit and wait.

Paul talked about the “hard working farmer” in II Timothy 2:6. And then James turns around and says, “See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth (James 5:7).”

Well, which is it?  Does the farmer work hard or patiently wait?  The answer is obviously both.  But you have to know when it’s time to work and when it’s time to stop working and wait.

We interact with life like all these illustrations.

Dancing with a partner.

Riding a horse.

Baking bread.

Churning butter.

Pouring concrete.

Farming the land.

All these activities call for wisdom in knowing when to act and when to wait in order to produce a desired outcome.  If you want something good out of life, you must know when and how to do both.

The fundamental key question is - HOW?

There are three answers to this question.

FIRST, we absorb the Bible with its admonitions and stories as a guidebook for life.  The more you read the Bible and intentionally work its truth into your mind and heart, the easier it is to consciously and unconsciously respond in accordance with its truth when confronted with life’s complicated scenarios.

SECOND, we must develop the ability to hear the Holy Spirit when He speaks.  We must cultivate a living and active relationship with God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit so we can discern His voice in complex situations.  The Holy Spirit will lead us.  He will agitate us to action when it’s appropriate and tape up our hands and mouth shut when it’s time to sit and wait.

THIRD, over time we gain experiential wisdom.  God uses life's experiences to teach us.  He interacts with us much like we do with adult children, allowing them to have more input and responsibility into decision-making as they grow older.  It appears to me that God does this as we mature in life and gain wisdom through trial and error.

And so, as we navigate through life, let’s remember the dance, the horse, bread-making, farming, and pouring concrete.  Life is a series of complex negotiations with people and situations where we need wisdom to know when to act and when to wait…

…when to speak and when to listen…

…when to get involved and when to stay out of it.

May God guide us and show us the way!