The Sweet Spot

#bible #dailydevotional #scripture #inspiration #spiriruality #personalgrowth #spiritualgrowth #discipleship #mentorship #philosophy #ethics

In the 2004 dramatic comedy Spanglish, there is a compelling scene in which the main character, John Claskey, has a eureka moment, in which his true life's desires start to come into focus, and the screenplay gives him the narrative freedom to utter a sort of soliloquy, as he gives us, the audience, a play by play as to what important realization has just come upon him.

He, an accomplished chef and resteraunteur, and his kitchen staff, were anxiously awaiting a very important review from a very influential food critic, and he pondered its ramifications out loud.

Claskey waxes poetic about the hypothetical fallout of possibly receiving a certain amount of Michelin Stars, (the most prestigious award given to anyone in his profession,) from this particular critic, and considers the repercussions, both positive and negative, of potentially receiving each amount.

Four stars, he concludes, would be too many, because he worked at a restaurant back in New York that had received four, and "all of the heart went right out of the place," as he put it, and everyone there got way too arrogant , and way too big of a head.

However, he dreaded what he perceived to be the inevitable disappointment and depression that would come with only receiving one star.

Three and a quarter stars, he comedically concluded, would be the perfect amount! That way, he would be respected enough for good people to want to work with him, and have steady business, but not be too insanely busy.

Then as he put it, he could also mind his own business, and that would be a solid life.

Those who watch this film carefully will find that John begins to find himself increasingly unable to carry the weight and pressure that the expectations associated with this newfound success would bring, and he also finds himself hitting a bottom, and a breaking point in a marriage that he deluded himself into thinking was fine, but in all reality was one that ended in infidelity and disaster.

This was the backdrop and impetus for the somewhat conedic, yet profoundly wise soliloquy that he uttered.

It was as if he was saying, I would rather sacrifice some of these external accolades, that is to say, what the world considers success, if it meant that I could have what in my heart of hearts I somehow intuitive know is TRUE SUCCESS; peace within my soul, and a healthy home life.

Whether or not this pithy phrase was crafted by a Christian writer or not seems to matter little. Because, it is, as the early Church Fathers put it, "Logoi Spirmatacoi," or a seed of The Word in the culture.

What does this archaically latin phrase mean exactly? Well as the Gospel of John tells us, Christ is The Living Word, and everything that was made was made through Him. (Colossians 1:16-17)

Therefore the talents of even a non-believing writer, in this case, still come from God and were given through Christ at creation

This gift then, shouldn't be feared, but should be seen through the aforementioned proper lens, and should be brought back under subjection to its intended purpose - the one that God had for it before the foundations of the world.

Seen in this new light, we can now properly interpret this scene with all its illuminating lines, take it in, and fully appreciate it in all of its fullness.

It is important to consider that, John Claskey, our main character who uttered this line, could've easily said, "I wish I didn't have any Michelin Stars, or, "I wish I wasn't a chef at all." But, he didn't say any of that at all. He instead began to READJUST his priorities, rather than TOTALLY ELIMINATE whichever ones weren't at the top of the list. There is a huge fundamental difference between the two.

We would do well to consider one more phrase from a Doctor of The Christian Church, or one whose contributions to our overall doctrinal and practical understanding are so massive that they simply cannot be ignored, this of course is St. Thomas Aquinas.

Aquinas famously said concerning how to discern developing a balance in one's life, "The virtue is in the middle of the two extremes."

I highly recommend that anyone who is struggling with what seems to be two or more warring or contradictory theological, moral, or practical questions and considerations to begin to prayerfully consider them through this new and liberating lens!

The simple, and unfortunate truth however, is that if you have been a Christian for just five days, let alone five months, or five years, you have undoubtedly come across several different species of pulpit pounding pundits, proclaiming with all the passion and conviction at their disposal what seem to be opposing, and perhaps even Biblically reasonable points of view.

Yet and still, each side seems to continue to hold fast to their seemingly immoveable position, and perhaps even hurl insults at each other from a distance in the process.

This then begs the question, how are you supposed to reconcile, much less make sense of, what seem to be two sound points of view, yet still seem to contradict each other?

Well, first off, while contemplation is an age old and sacred Christian exercise, if it isn't Holy Spirit inspired, and accompanied by a proven framework through which to view it and make sense of it, overthinking it will most likely drive you crazy! Give yourself a break . . . Now take a deep breath, and exhale . . . We've all been there at one time or another.

I strongly suggest building the foundation for the previously suggested framework, with the aid of the Holy Scriptures, in conjunction with a simple four step proven process for making wise, and effective decisions.

1.) Spend quality time in Prayer, and in God's Presence.

Isaiah 30: 21 tells us,

"And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left."

These ears that this particular verse is referring to are "spiritual ears," and our spiritual ears only become sensitive to the voice of God " . . . by reason of use," (Hebrews 5:14) or to the precise extent that we spend time with God and therefore allow His Spirit to effectively sensitize them.

It is also of supreme importance to notice that the verse says "to the right or the left." This inherently implies a balance, or a virtue in the middle of the two extremes. It doesn't say to the right only, or just to the left, implicitly pointing to The Holy Spirit as the final tiebreaker on such matters.

2.) Consulting scripture through its study

Proverbs 26: 4-5 states,

4 "Do not answer a fool according to his folly,

or you yourself will be just like him.

5 Answer a fool according to his folly,

or he will be wise in his own eyes.*

Wait, what!? Doesn't this seem like a blatant contradiction?

At first glance, to untrained "spiritual eye," yes it does look like a contradiction. To the discerning and the experienced however, it is really the opposite. It is a "full read," of the full scope of the ramifications of the situations and circumstances in which we as believers find ourselves when dealing with such people.

At certain times it is best, as Jesus said, not to ". . . cast your pearls before swine." That is to say it is better not to try to explain the mysteries of God to someone who is prideful, stubborn, obstinate, and convinced of their own wisdom and therefore unwilling to learn from, or receive anything from God. Such a person cannot be taught, simply because of their own hard-headedness, and unwillingness to listen.

However, as the passage also indicates in the very next verse, at other times it is absolutely necessary to correct a fool, ". . . lest he be wise in his own eyes." There are several other instances in the Bible that clearly tell us that we as believers should be prepared to rebuke others who are in need of correction, when the time is right.

How do we know when the time is right, you may ask? Good question!

We must turn again and again to The Holy Spirit first for the touch of confirmation and assurance concerning these things that only He can provide! Then we turn again back to scripture as our corresponding teacher, and as our guideposts, as the scriptures were indeed written under His very same inspiration.

To put a bow on this point, Colossians 3:15 is very helpful here: (AMPC translation)

15 "And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always].

I couldn't have said it better myself!

. . . Let it wash over you. . . .

It is very interesting that this peace that is spoken of in this passage is also metaphorically referred to as an "umpire."

An umpire's job, as you undoubtedly know, is to call what is fair, and to call what is foul.

That is a beautiful, and incredibly helpful picture of what the Holy Spirit, by the peace of God does for us in these matters.

3. Learning from the wisdom and experience of others

Just a few helpful verses here for your consideration:

Proverbs 27:17

"As iron sharpens iron,

so one person sharpens another."

Hebrews 13:7 (AMP translation)

"Remember your leaders [for it was they] who brought you the word of God; and consider the result of their conduct [the outcome of their godly lives], and imitate their faith [their conviction that God exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things, the Provider of eternal salvation through Christ, and imitate their reliance on God with absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness].

And lastly, 1 Corinthians 11:1

"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."

We were not meant to live this Christian life to which we were called in a vacuum, or on an island, but instead as a member of the mystical body of Christ.

A huge part of how God demonstrates not only His love for us, but also His glory, is through the incredible diversity of His creation, not the least of which is this body of believers whose sole purpose next to knowing and loving God, is to glorify Him by loving, serving, edifying and encouraging one another in our faith.

"Carry each other's burdens, in this you fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2)

Part of how we do this is teach and admonish one another, verbally, through the sharing of our experience and testimony, and through the power of our examples.

4. Learning from our own experience

Here we consult the wisdom of the age old book of Ecclesiastes, written by King Solomon, who, according to the Bible, was the wisest man, (besides Jesus, being fully God and fully man,) who ever lived.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8,

1 "There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace"

There is an inherent, and poetic balance that is enumerated here, that occurs naturally, and within the rhythm of life. The key word then becomes "time." How do we know then, when it's time for what?

That's where the Holy Spirit comes in yet again, and the prudence of wise thinking that should always accompany Him.

Let's close with 1 John 2:27,

"But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ."

"Experience is NOT the best teacher. EVALUATED experience is. "

• John Maxwell

Questions and Reflection:

Am I struggling to make an important decision? Do I struggle to make important decisions in general?

How much time do I spend in Prayer, and in God's Presence?

How much time do I spend reading and studying His Word?

Am I seeking to benefit from the wisdom of those who have preceded me?

Am I spending enough time adequately evaluating my own experience, and trying to learn what God would have me learn from it?

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we thank you for loving us and caring for us unconditionally. We ask you now God, to pour out through Your Holy Spirit the desire and grace we need to not just be hearers of Your Word, but to be doers of it also.

Help us to prioritize spending time with You in Prayer and Bible study, as well as adequate time in deep personal reflection, and in fellowship with each other Lord, so that You may empower Iron to indeed sharpen Iron, for our good and for Your ultimate Glory, we pray, in Jesus' Name, Amen!

I sincerely hope that today's devotional was a Blessing to you 🙏🏼 Please don't hesitate to comment, or ask a question if you have one.

We love you and are praying for you! God's richest Blessings, - NDV