How do we get back to the basics?
I think it is safe to say we are living in unique, bizarre and unprecedented times. I’m guessing there is not a single person, in any walk of life anywhere on this planet that the current state of things has not affected. Our world, our culture, our relationships – everything is changing. Sometimes I feel it’s at a snail’s pace and at other moments it seems to move at breakneck speeds.
As I have been processing these changes, shocked and bothered by much of what is going on, I am hearing a steady whisper, ‘Get back to the basics.’ Politically, economically and
medically…there is chaos everywhere we turn and it is overwhelming for many. While some feel unphased by it all, others are consumed. I feel empowered to make a choice regarding my own well-being but then feel powerless in the next breath as new information comes my way. So what can we do? How do we get back to the basics with the complexity of our world?
Feeling thwarted?
Do you know how it feels to be thwarted? I’m certain you do! We experience it as children when our parents deny a request. We find it any time we don’t receive what was promised, what we hoped for or planned on. This thwarting can be a mild annoyance or lead to devastating life change. Right now, I feel thwarted in many areas. Let me be up front in saying that my feelings and perceptions form a strong bias in my responses, but nevertheless, I feel frustrated. I notice these feelings in relationship as I face disappointment intertwined with longing. I recognize a sense of betrayal I feel from my body and mind. It’s like they’ve left the room and refuse to have a decent conversation about good solutions! The COVID discussion leaves me angry and heart-broken as I see people on both sides of the debate passionately defend their view while judging the other. Sometimes it feels like an endless tug o’ war where no one wins. It feels like thwarting, a roadblock, a stalemate that contributes to a feeling of being hopelessly lost and confused.
To find some direction, let’s turn to Scripture. Hebrews 12:1-3 is a familiar passage, where Paul reminds us to get back to the basics.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,2 fixing our eyes on Jesus,the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross,scorning its shame,and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
A cloud of witnesses
To understand what Paul is referring to, we need only to look at the previous chapter. He outlines an impressive list of biblical characters who had done significant things in faith. It is worth noting these people were everyday folks with broken and messy lives, much like you and I. Paul lists them as the faithful and persistent witnesses who now cheer us on as we attempt to be obedient in our current reality. The larger point? We are not alone! People have struggled through the millennia, clinging to God as their source of strength and hope. Paul reminds us it is key to getting back to the basics.
Throw it off!
Think of a time when you held what felt like a 1000 packages and tried to open the door. Or maybe when you have hiked a steep grade with 40 lbs on your back. Perhaps you’ve been dogged with anxiety or depression because of your own actions or that of another. We know what it feels like to be hindered! We also likely know the feeling of being so tangled up in something, we have no idea how to get ourselves free!
Paul uses the analogy of running a race. If you haven’t run a race yourself, you have probably watched one. Imagine showing up to a 10K with a heavy 65L backpack, a suitcase in one hand and a bag of groceries in the other. There is a weight around each ankle and a rope around your waist, tethered to someone behind you who is equally weighed down. Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? But isn’t it the way we run sometimes? Paul tells us to shed the extra baggage and throw it off, let it go, lay it down. The big question becomes ‘how’?
Perseverance and perspective
Sometimes I want to throw in the towel and the last thing I want to hear is a challenge to persevere! I want to yell, ‘I haven’t exactly been sitting around here, Paul!’ I want to argue that my life can be hard and I’m doing my best. If he were sitting next to me, I’m sure he would hear me, agreeing with my assessment, but I bet he would challenge me to do it differently.
Carrying a heavy load sometimes makes perseverance feel like an impossible task. It makes the road arduous and seem never-ending. Notice, however, Paul calls us to RUN, not trudge on the path marked out for us. That means it is already prepared and carefully planned for us. When I am weighed down with problematic thinking and living, I am on my own path and lose my way quickly. Paul tells us there is another way.
Fix your eyes
Recently, I was on a kayaking trip in the Desolation Sound on the west coast of BC. Even though we were island hopping for most of the time, there were crossings of wide open water with our destination a good distance away. In order to paddle efficiently with the tide and current, it was helpful to pick a point on the horizon and lock eyes on it. This enabled me to keep focus and stay the course.
The same is true in our faith journey. If I don’t have a solid place to look, I can drift, not realizing how the current has taken me well off course. I can get distracted by this conversation and that opinion. “Shiny things” get my attention and pull me away from what’s most important. None of these things may be wrong or sinful, but if they steal my focus, they threaten to entangle more than spur me on. When I have my eyes firmly fixed, however, I find myself in a posture which directly impacts my thinking, feeling and choosing. It has the power to change my perspective, which, more often than not, alters my course.
Consider Jesus
Spiritually, getting back to the basics is about the gospel of Jesus. When I take time to remember all Jesus went through, the pain and torture he endured for my freedom, it eases the weight of whatever I am facing. What is in front of me is nothing compared to what Jesus chose out of love and grace. He embraced the cross and the humiliation of it for our sake. Paul wants us to remember this ultimate sacrifice so we don’t lose heart and grow weary. Nothing we go through will be more difficult than what Jesus experienced. Paul never wants us to forget.
What now?
You may wonder what any of this has to do with your current situation – a failing marriage, estranged children, the death of a loved one or potentially losing your job due to the vaccination mandating. I want to say with love and gentleness – it has everything to do with it! There is nothing in Paul’s words that say your hardship will disappear as you look to Jesus BUT it can provide fresh perspective and direction. There can be fresh hope and strength as you ask yourself what you can do today to get back to the basics.
- Consider what may be holding you back or slowing you down. Are there attitudes or behaviours that are restricting your ability to run? Are you willing to throw them off as Paul teaches? What would it take?
- Is there pain or grief weighing so heavily you can barely take a step? Consider finding someone to talk to: a trusted friend, a pastor or ministry leader, a therapist or a coach.
- Assess where your focus is. Is it where you want or need it to be? What is something tangible you can do to assist you in getting back to the basics?
- Suggestions:
- turn off the news and social media for a day/week/month
- go outside and spend time in nature, allowing yourself to really see what is around you. Give yourself time to connect with God over the beauty of what He has created.
- make space in your day to take stock and regroup as often as needed
- read the Bible with the intention of communicating with God. Allow the words on the page to facilitate an authentic conversation with Him.
- determine what your focus has been and talk to a friend to share what needs to change for the sake of connection and accountability
- turn off the news and social media for a day/week/month
- Suggestions:
Prayer
Lord Jesus, there is much going on we don’t understand and it is difficult to keep our focus. Help us fix our eyes on You, remembering you are the only One with the power and authority to bring lasting change, healing and restoration. Please show us how to walk in your love and grace in these difficult days. Fill us with Your hope and strength as we try to get back to the basics. You are God and we are not. Help us live accordingly. Amen.
