Infinite Joy and The Common Life

by J. Michael Dyck

INFINITE JOY

Our culture is full of amusements. From every direction, we are encouraged, cajoled, and otherwise strong-armed to love this or be committed to that. The further our culture spirals out of control, the more we are confronted with “things” that supposedly will make us happy.

But none of those enticements will bring us lasting satisfaction.

I know this, and yet I still sometimes choose the delights of the world. Psalm 16:11 states, “You make known the me the path of life; in your presence there is fulness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Think about that! At God’s right hand there are pleasures forevermore. It’s hard to believe that Israel of old was chastised by God because they refused to find their satisfaction, delight, enjoyment, and fulfillment in their God.

In fact, in Jeremiah 2:13, God states, “My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.” What vivid imagery. Instead of having an abundance of water from the very source - where the water will never run out, where there will never be a shortage - they contented themselves with trying to suck water out of a dry well, and what little water they were fortunate enough to find they put into receptacles full of holes.

C.S. Lewis puts it this way: “When infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child, [we go on] making mud pies in a slum because [we] cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.” The joys of the world are fleeting at best: fortune, fame, sex, or prestige, you name it, and it won’t last. None of the above will ever give you lasting satisfaction, and yet we, I, am attracted to these things.

May God help me…..and thankfully He has - through Jesus Christ.

 

THE COMMON LIFE

I have been pondering 1Thessalonians 4:11: “Aspire to live quietly and mind your own affairs and to do work with your hands, as we instructed you.”

Every day we are bombarded with the message that we are to do great things.  Even in evangelical circles, the message is loud and clear: do something significant. Be great.  Have a great influence.

The question is, however, is this a biblical message?

While I can’t seem to find any reference to doing “great things for God,” this verse in Thessalonians is quite striking.  We are to work hard at what God has called us to do, whether that is being a farmer, lawyer, doctor, janitor, engineer, homemaker, pastor, teacher, speech pathologist, musician, EMT, or president of the United States. In other words, we are to be ordinary.

Why is that? 

I think that Luther approached the right answer when he said that God works in the world through people and their callings. He said that God milks the cow through the hands of the milk maid. Along similar lines, God heals through the hands of doctors, and He give us our daily bread through the hands of farmer, truck drivers, grocery store clerks, and cashiers. All of these professions point to God’s care for the world and His people.

The supreme example of this is Mary, the mother of Jesus. When the angel Gabriel announced to her that she would bear the Messiah, she didn’t leave her work and start her own ministry. She didn’t start a Bible study series and become an itinerant evangelist. If anyone could have used her situation to her own advantage, it was Mary.  After all, she was going to give birth to the Messiah!

So, what did she do?

She went back to her home and back to Joseph, and she cleaned and cooked and took care of the “menial” tasks that characterized her situation.

Luther said that this gave honor to all work, and I agree with him. If there is one prayer I have for the Christian community, it is that we will work quietly with our hands, mind our own affairs, work as unto the Lord, and be good representatives for Christ where we are. In this God will be glorified as He continues to do His work in the world.

J. Michael Dyck is a life-long educator, historian, and writer. As a missionary’s son, he has lived in many places around the world—all of which have richly informed his writings and faith. As a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, Michael is most happy when he is creating new memories with his family—be it traveling around the country or relaxing in the backyard at home. And here’s a fun fact: He and his dear wife, Mary, were long-time pen pals with Elisabeth Elliot, the prolific writer and wife of Jim Elliot, a martyred missionary to the Huaorani people of Ecuador.