We admire those who excel in their pursuits.
We are a nation of adventurers and racers and climbers and explorers. We push forward through the mountain and through the science and deep into the center of profit calculations and business models until it is refined and driven by amazing minds and great wealth to achieve extraordinary things in many different realms.
Everyone knows Elon Musk and even if you don’t like him you cannot deny his results in so many fields
He is singularly driven to accomplish whatever task is before him and understands the commitment and focus needed. His life has no downtime it seems. I am not sure we could catch him scrolling for hours on end looking at mindless TikTok’s.
And our Olympic athletes are the same really. They drive their bodies and discipline and will to push harder and fail and start again and keep pushing but by bit maybe inch by inch to gain new records at running and pole vaulting and shooting and skiing. Anything that can be competitive is taken on and pursued with every fiber of their being and minute of the day.
Coming down from these heady heights of business and physical professionals, we can see those in our immediate world striving harder and smarter to build small businesses or develop the best processes through performance improvement and AI. They use the latest business coach to help Grow big business bigger. And always looking for the next idea to increase profits and speed, all analyzed and modified to hone better results.
So much concentration. To the observer half the people spend most of their time in pursuit of money and accomplishments and fame and fortune. The other half is watching TV or addicted to social media or endless hours of watching rich men play sports games so they can cheer on the laundry. I am certain it is the uniform being cheered as the players change…even where they are located, changes. It’s only the uniform that stays the same.
And to all this Jesus says with a sigh, if only they pursued their eternal life like the leading businessmen pursued money and success.
If only they brought all their body and soul into growing closer to the Father as they obtain new physical performance records.
If only they read the Word and scripture as much as they watched football.
Today, most children spend 10 times more of their day on social media than being with friends. Most adults do too when they are not glued to the TV or internet.
God is something that is wrapped up, sealed and confined to a prayer when things go badly or at best an hour on Sunday.
We spend years in school and college and training in our work to make a better living on this earth. How much time are we spending learning about Jesus Christ so when we arrive at the end of our time here we will find a friend waiting.
Actually, we will find a friend waiting no matter how we live. But it could be the friend we have given more attention to on this earth. When we put greed or sin or idle time as the main focus of our life the one greeting us only says he is a friend.
We choose each day, who we will follow and how we will live. We choose to have a relationship with God each time we say yes to reading his word and praying and worshipping him. And if we choose him as often as most choose the world, we will find that friend in the end is Jesus Christ.
Today we ask ourselves who do we worship? Where is our day. Maybe a diary of each day would show us the truth.
The good news is we have time still. Time to spend on whats best for our life and soul, and for the best friend we have already in Jess Christ. We have only to say, today I will keep God close to me and his will, will be my will. People are capable of great things in this life and most of them are great and awesome things. We need to use that capacity for excellence, and harness it to be excellent and the best we can be as followers of Jesus Christ.
Deacon Tony Pynes 
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