To BE or not to BE...

So often we are defined more so by our "doing" and less by our "being". You are at a gathering and one of the most frequent questions asked, "What do you do for a living, or what kind of work do you do?" "Doing" can easily be measured, doing gets noticed, doing is the physical proof that you are active and accomplishing something. In fact, many worship "doing". The majority of stressors in our lives are based on the need to do more and do it faster and done with the utmost of efficiency. We idolize its directive of performance orientation. Our lives our both motivated by it and consumed by it. With it we are validated in our personal and professional lives and many are  energized by it. To not do something labels us as passive or lazy. Think about the common vernacular that surrounds doing. "workaholic"  "to do lists" "I'm doing my best," "do something!" , etc. We even renamed refuse with it…"do-do". (Ok so the last one is a stretch, but you get the point.) If you listen to most sermons the end result is a call for us to do something. We call it "application" or being "purpose DRIVEN" but it has the tendency to be a doing or works oriented gospel. Now that I have belabored the point or for some have not proven it enough, let me address doing's stereotypical combatant, "Being". 

Shakespeare said it best in his famous playwright Hamlet, "To be, or not to be that is the question". Martha chastised Mary for it. James addressed it in a different way when he stated that faith (being) without works (doing) is dead. "Being" appears to accomplish nothing but a spirit of "slothlessness" or lack of ambition. Being is the ability to soak it all in, to bask in the warmth of mere presence, to steep long so that you become more like the object of your affection. Being is acknowledging that there is a Sabbath's rest and that a "still small voice" longs to be heard. Being exposes our soul and can remove the dross and thus purify our lives. Being is the picture David painted in the 23rd Psalm: "He (our Good Shepherd) leads us to green pastures and still waters.  We know Jesus often removed himself from his busy schedule and spent time in prayer with his heavenly Father.  I decided to pause for a few moments of this writing and allow the Lord to speak to me. You see "being" really is doing something significant because it places us in a position of receiving from our Lord. It slows us down and directs us to listen, dream and see life through a more peaceful lens. Being like Doing takes a great amount of effort and intentionality, but the end result is not always measurable. Results may vary, but unless you recognize your "being time" as an attempt to get one step closer to and one level deeper in the Lord, it will be rendered as useless. Words like "Sabbath", rest, quiet, quiet time, listening, presence, the discipline tandem of silence and solitude help director us towards the concept of Being.   

I don’t know about you, but after a long day, week, or month of sheer "doing" and hardly any "being" I am spent. I am less present in relationships, I tend to be more cynical in my speech, and my attitude is one of selfishness and entitlement.  I can rationalize all this doing by the label of "service" but the reality would probably prove otherwise that I am merely submitting and performing for another god and his name isn't Jesus. So what is the answer to Shakespeare's request? Where is the balance and how can I get there without sabotaging my soul and the relationships around me? I believe life's pendulum is in a constant swinging motion when it comes to "being" and "doing". As leaders we need to be replenished, constantly being filled with God's Spirit and living in His daily renewing mercies in order to affectively minister to those in our care and sphere of influence. It can like the need to charge your mobile phone. Being is the cord that connects us to our Power Source, so stay connected.

Here would be my recommendations of posturing for this spiritual refreshment:

•   Ask yourself how you are doing at being? One way is to look at your stress level, blood pressure, 

      prayer life and how connected are your relationships. Fragmentation is a true sign of dis-ease. 

•   Schedule (yes, mark it as a meeting on your calendar) some quiet time, alone time, listening time without

      any distractions in the presence of God. (Don't even bring a Bible or journal so you are not tempted to fill 

      that time with study and or a "to do" list.)

•   Actually take at least a few hours or half a day in a spiritual Sabbath. (Don't buy the "if you use your

      mental capacities often, you can use your time off doing physical things") I've tried it and it only leaves

      you tired and depleted. Distractions and busy is a tool of Satan. (Tweet that gem of a statement) 

•   Meditation is your friend! Focus your thinking throughout your day (in Sabbath and in work) on a 

      characteristic of God. His holiness, love, peace, restoration, grace, etc.

I look forward to hearing the stories that will come out of your "being times". So hurry up and get going, you have a lot of "being" to catch up on. :-)