Lent Day 2: I give up Productivity as Measure of Success

If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Isaiah 58:13-14

I give up running around and around in this productivity hamster wheel where my worth is defined by the number of hours I can stay awake on my computer or maximizing profits. I give up living life according to the measure of man’s wealth and man’s success. I give up going and going without rest. I take in rest. I take in rest as delight. I delight in rest. I delight in God’s timing that is at the speed of fun and speed of faith, not the speed of panic. I have faith that this way of living that honors rest and honors work with integrity and kindness and breath will lead me to my triumph. I have faith that my journey and the speed I take on it are exactly for me! I feast on this inheritance.

Day 12: Success despite circumstances

Genesis 38-40; Psalm 12

The Lord is with Joseph so he was successful. The Spirit is with me so I will find favor and be successful. How do I define success? How do I define find favor? In Joseph’s case, he was still in bondage, tempted daily, at the mercy of his circumstances and helped those around him be successful. But in all circumstances, he walked with integrity and walked in his giftings. Is being successful, essentially having the freedom to act in spite of circumstances? Is success a grounded rooted patience? We are obsessed with success, but what’s the kind of success we should strive for that helps us stay with integrity and faith? What kind of success attracts our enemies? What kind of character grounds that success? I want to be this kind of success.

God guard my tongue and my words. Words can build up or words can tear down and help me to do more the former and ask for forgiveness whenever I do the latter. Help me to take a breath before I want to jump into negative or hurtful talk, because out of my heart the mouth speaks, and I want to be aware and have control when my heart is deviating and acting UP.