The Conversation

“How are you?”

“I’m doing great! Work is good. Just finished up a huge project. The kids are busy with soccer and music lessons. My wife is leading a small group at church and is really into it. We’re busy but life is grand!”

That wasn’t the question asked. I didn’t ask for a list of activities or what you are accomplishing. I asked… “How are you?

It’s been said so many times before that it’s become a cliche’. You are a “human-being”… not a “human-doing”. But, we rarely stop long enough to change the flow of this tide.

Our identity is wrapped up in what we’ve done, are doing, and will do. I’ve got a lot of friends in vocational ministry and there’s no other place where this is more true.

We all have a difficult time just be-ing. We feel the need to qualify ourselves to those around us by our accomplishments in order to receive the validation we all seek.

And, browsing Facebook and Instagram everyday won’t help you either. All those pretty people… doing all those wonderful things… visiting all those interesting places… living such incredible lives. Our culture screams, “Look at everything you are missing out on!”

What does it look like for you to simply “be”?

For starters, try these:

Be at rest… without feeling guilty that you aren’t doing anything.

Be at peace… reflect and be content with what you’ve been allowed to accomplish thus far.

Be alone… with nothing but your thoughts and without a constant compulsion to check social media.

Be with God… without saying or asking anything. Without accomplishing your dutiful devotion so you can mark one more thing off your list.

Be with your family… without the hyper-activity that fills our calendars with sports and music lessons and church and clubs and activity, activity, activity. Even our “vacations” are chock full of stuff we’ve got to see and do.

The Challenge

The next time someone close asks, don’t give them “the list.” Instead, reflect and answer honestly.

All of this is certainly challenging for me. But, Christ’s work in my life is less about what I’m doing or not doing and more about who I’m becoming. And, hopefully from that becoming, what I do will be all the more rich and meaningful.