We Optimize Ourselves by Working Through the Wilderness
By: Christos Makridis
Tags: Self Improvement, Christianity, Productivity, Covid 19, Spirituality

We Optimize Ourselves by Working Through the Wilderness

Leverage challenging circumstances for long-term growth.

One of the messages that we’ve heard lots of times — and legitimately so — is that we shouldn’t be looking to just go back to normalcy.

Plus, normalcy is over-rated. What is normal anyway? Things are always in flux and somehow we always still have something complain about!

What’s Our Objective?

We have a tendency to over-complicate things. We construct lofty goals with well-intentioned plans.

Plans are good, but we cannot let them become an idol. Micah 6:8 reminds us that the Lord lays out a pretty simple command: humble yourself and walk humbly with your God. Pretty simple compared with our 10-year plan.

And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God? — Micah 6:8

Humility means recognizing that we don’t have all the answers and that we’re a work in progress — constantly improving or, as Paul says in Philippians 3:14, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.” When we’re proud, we put ourselves at odds with Jesus — unable to learn and listen to the Holy Spirit guide and point out areas for growth.

Moreover, Jesus affirms the Old Testament prophet Micah, and what Paul would eventually utter in his letter to the Philippians, when He reminds us in Matthew 5:28: “Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”

But, how do we “be perfect” — or strive towards it — practically speaking?

Optimizing the Wilderness

Let me focus on one specific dimension of this process for improvement: how we leverage our endowments, which most notably includes our time.

This concept of time is rooted in scripture. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 5:15: “Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” While not everyone has large financial resources, we all have time — and that’s a gift to be stewarded.

While not everyone has large financial resources, we all have time — and that’s a gift to be stewarded.

So, how are we using our time during the pandemic?

As the economy begins to reopen and stay-at-home orders are lifted, we’re beginning to see a rise in economic activity and traffic. But, we’re far from business as usual — and that’s a good thing — and many companies are likely to have their employees continue working from home.

To get a sense of how we might want to think about this moment we’re in, let’s look back at the Israelites when the Lord took them through the wilderness following the Exodus out of Egypt. They spent 40 years in it.

The shaking that we’ve witnessed is much like the wilderness that the Israelites experienced. Wondering in the desert, it was just them and their God — Yahweh. That’s much like our experience over the past three months: whether we openly acknowledge the Lord or not, He’s here with us.

Getting Ready for Revival

While we’ve already had significant breakthroughs in the spiritual realm — and the prayers of the righteous church have unambiguously played a role in moving the country forward —we’re likely to see an even bigger outpouring at Pentecost. Are we ready, or what might the Lord be trying to teach us still?

We might think we’re ready for the outpouring, but Jesus rewards those who search and invest. Of course, we are not made righteous through works. But, we can demonstrate our love by how we allocate our time. For example, Jesus reminds us in the “Parable of the Talents” that we are to invest and generate a healthy return on investment using our finances, time, and mind.

Then, what actions are you taking right now to prepare yourself and reciprocate the love that He poured out for us?

Are you investing your time, or just spending it? Social media, for example, has become a particularly large distraction in our day and age. While it can be used for lots of good, it is ultimately a tool, meaning that it can also do harm.

Similarly, Netflix can be used to bring a family together and have some laughs around a good movie. But, it too an create a similar addiction — or simply become a black hole that squanders our time.

Netflix can be used to bring a family together... But, it too an create a similar addiction — or simply become a black hole that squanders our time.

Let’s put an end to these empty pursuits by asking Jesus to transform our desires, which will in turn change the way that we *want* to invest our time, specifically on activities that advance His kingdom. Time is precious and we don’t want to look back when we get to Heaven wishing that we had invested more faithfully in His kingdom.

Three Steps for Course Correction

How do we put this all to practice? Hardly an exhaustive source, but perhaps we can boil it all down to taking the following three steps.

Take an internal inventory of just the past month — where have we allocated our time and thoughts? Ask Jesus to speak to your heart —were all these activities aligned with His will for our life, or what are the areas for improvement? Pray to Jesus to help take the next steps — while we cannot do anything on our own, what does Jesus need to help us with to move forward?

We need to take a really hard look at what we’re doing and what we’re thinking. We cannot call ourselves followers of Jesus if we behave the same way that people who do not follow Jesus behave. Everything we do needs to be aligned with His purposes. We should not let this journey through wilderness end without learning the lesson that Jesus is trying to teach us.

What are you going to do differently tomorrow?