Always Catching Up
The Christian life is marked by catching up. Not in a crushing way, like when you're behind on your bills or your boss is on your case. Salvation is by grace, so the Christian is free from anything like debt or layoffs. Rather, the Christian life is marked by a joyful, urgent catching up.
Christmas and Interns
Think "catching up" like a kid in the first few hours of Christmas morning. He can't ever decide what to play with first. He moves from toy to toy at an exhausting pace. There's so much to take in and enjoy! Or maybe picture an excited intern on her first day at her dream job. On day one, she has so much to learn and take in. She's frantic, but motivated and confident.
Like kids on Christmas morning, Christians should be dumbfounded by their inheritance in the gospel. In Christ, our Father has given us infinite treasure. Infinite! So, even if you've been a child of God for fifty years, you're still just catching up to all you've been given in Christ.
And like bright-eyed interns, we're all disciples of Christ, our Older Brother and Great King. Jesus is the first-born Son, the perfect image of God, and we are called by the Father to follow after him. Like lowly interns, we're often intimidated by the call of Christ, but because of grace we're excited about what lies ahead. We have been promised that if we persevere, we will one day be like him.
When Can I Start?
Growing up in the Christian life often feels like these kinds of catching up. Christians should have a zeal for growth. Each day presents new questions, new difficulties, and new opportunities.
While I am encouraged by the promise of sure success, I am zealous for growth today. I need wisdom now -- for me, my family, my church, and my city. Every day, I'm freshly reminded that I've got a lot of catching up to do. I know wisdom comes with experience and time, but sometimes it feels like time won't come quick enough.
So what's a young guy to do?
One way to catch up is to listen and learn from the experience of others. This blog will be a journal of some of my efforts to listen and learn so that I might catch up and grow up into Christ. By writing, I hope the wisdom of others settles more deeply in my life. I know that without reflection, wisdom usually doesn't stick.
Since there are already quality websites which highlight resources within evangelicalism, I hope to point to stories outside my tribe's niche. And since all my roles have to do with people, this site will emphasize posts which help me better care for people. Good stories told by good writers have been particularly helpful to me, so expect a lot of reflection on those.
If you find something that's been helpful for you, send it my way. I'd love to learn with you as you learn with me. Hopefully, we can encourage one another, pursuing growth confidently, knowing that "he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).
Until then, though, get to work. We've both got a lot of catching up to do.