A Word From The Hubs

Many thanks to my fabulous hubby for chiming in and sharing his thoughts! He is ridiculously insightful. Without further ado...

The Slavery Post

            What does it mean to be a slave? Betsy and I recently saw the movie Cloud Atlas, which has in it several stories involving various characters who are, in one way or another, slaves. To avoid spoiling the movie for you who haven’t seen it, I will just leave it at that. The act of slavery is despicable at best, when considering our culture’s perspective on the word. Why is it, then, that some forms of slavery are so glamorous? To be a slave to fashion, for example, is admired by many. To be a slave to a business often yields great returns in lifestyle enhancements.

Some recent church services at Redeemer Fellowship caused me to assess where my allegiance lies. The gist of the message was this: to whom/what are you a slave? Unfortunately, my answers were ubiquitously pathetic. Jesus comes in at a distant tenth place after school, Betsy, TV, Facebook, video games, alcohol/food, and others.

Thankfully, I now have a tasteful reminder of where I desire to be. My faith in Christ ought to dominate my life and the biggest reminder I have is the St. Francis prayer. Betsy’s designer friend made a fancy print of it and it now hangs in my office/study area.

           

            Sorry my first guest post is written on such an austere note - I just need to be honest with myself and the people who care about Betsy and me. Do not fear, however! The first step to fixing a problem is admitting that it exists. And, to be sure, we all struggle with prioritizing our lives. Since starting medical school, there have been many times when I am fired up about leading a Gospel-filled life. I feel like those times are only transient, however, and quickly I am left worrying about the next big test.

            Thankfully, as I have been wrestling with this feeling of self-deprecation, God has made clear what I can do to improve this situation. Most importantly, Betsy and I have each other. We are two stubborn people but we thankfully help sharpen one another as iron sharpens iron. Besides the relationship we share, Betsy and I have had opportunities to participate in a local Bible study. Also, we were able to help a couple from church prepare a bonfire event for a local university dorm. We have an amazing church community, we have each other, and we have a great group of friends. I already have some friends down here in Kansas City who challenge me to be real and honest about where I am at spiritually. I hope I also do the same for them.

I want to end with this: what are you a slave to? Be honest with yourself. Are you prioritizing your life in a way that glorifies God? For non-Christian readers, are you prioritizing your life in a way that is beneficial to the people in your life who you love and care about? Hobbies can enslave us, along with desires, yearnings, escapes, etc. Let us not forget what is important in life – the love of others. If our highest pursuits have ends that are only self-gratifying, they are vain indeed.