Oh yeah... It is Good Friday.

I have been asked (twice) why my blog hasn't been focused on passion week this week. That is a good question, to which I will provide an honest answer: "because I haven't been focused on it."

What is in front of us, the "urgent", often times trumps the "important" in our lives. This is definitely true in our minds. When our minds are being used to tackle the urgent stuff in our family and at work - it is hard to remember to spend time focusing on the truly important. It is now Friday and instead of my scheduled post (that I set up a week ago) I have slowed down and made the decision to focus on the important. My mind is wired to assume that urgent things are burning to the ground around me as I focus in on the important - but in reality they aren't. (If you are a fireman they might be burning to the ground so understand this isn't meant literally.) They are being neglected, but they should be; they aren't as important!

Our lives only have so much time. This is true of every day and our entire life span on earth. How we spend this "blink" shows God and others what we value and what we deem important. Jesus spent about 33 years on earth (me too) and during most of it he spent time studying and teaching about mankind, his father and how they interacted. He spent about 10% of that time explaining who He was and who we were to be. Jesus came to the end of his life focused on the important even though it meant many things would go undone. He knew what he should be passionate about and he embraced it - even to death. Jesus had something important to do: rescue mankind from their separation from God. He was focused and would not be distracted by urgent things such as: drinking water, breathing, NOT bleeding to death, etc.  Jesus chose the important over the urgent, even when it cost Him His life. 

Good Friday is good because Jesus focused on the important job of rescuing humanity. That is good for us. This should inspire us to make Good Friday good as well by focusing on the important job we have been given. Jesus summed up our calling in two statements: love God and love others. He said everything that God has communicated about how we should live is built upon that. So what is important in your life today? What would you die for?

How can you love God with your time and energy this weekend?

How can you love others with your time and energy this weekend?

What urgent stuff do you need to let "burn to the ground" so that you are free to focus on the important?