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Fachada falsa... False front...

10/26/2016

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Hoy en día, no nos da tiempo para muchas cosas… aun las importantes. Sin embargo, tendremos tiempo para morir. Tendremos tiempo para nuestra cita ante el tribunal de Cristo, donde “cada uno de nosotros dará a Dios cuenta de sí." (Romans 14:12)

¿Te has vuelto un tanto demasiado cómodo diciendo que estás muy ocupado para orar? o para leer la Biblia por tu propia cuenta? o para compartir con los demás lo que Dios te ha enseñado? ¿Demasiado ocupado para tu congregación? Sí, entiendo.

Pero, tristemente, los que constantemente están muy ocupados terminan descuidando las cosas importantes. Y no se les nota mucha tristeza por su negligencia. Parece que ni perciben lo negligente que han sido con su vida espiritual y la de su familia.

Pareciera ser una excusa conveniente. Pero, el estar demasiado ocupado para ser espiritualmente responsable es una fachada falsa. Ninguno se exenta de ser obediente. Nadie evade las consecuencias de distanciarse de Dios, de no colaborar en una de sus iglesias, de no luchar por el avance del reino de Dios.

“Marta, Marta, afanada y turbada estás con muchas cosas." (Luke 10:41)

Nos dejamos convencer de que nuestra… “ocupadez” es inevitable… hasta justificable. Pero, no es inevitable. Tampoco se justifica. Lo que pasó fue que invertimos nuestra lista de prioridades. Ahora hay que darle otra vuelta de 180°.

Buscar primeramente a Dios quiere decir que nos hacemos a la idea de que hay ciertos deberes cotidianos que no son movibles: tiempo a solas con Dios en su palabra… reflexión personal y oración… involucramiento directo en compartir a Cristo y hacer discípulo. ¿Actualmente, a quién discipulas con el fin de ver su madurez espiritual y futuro liderazgo?

El camino al crecimiento y al fruto es fácil de discernir. A pesar de eso, pocos somos los que avanzamos sobre él porque es largo y no hay atajos para llegar a nuestro destino. Cero visiones… cero sueños… cero dones raros de interpretación… cero señales y sucesos especiales hechos en nuestra presencia que nos tranporten a la tierra de la integridad y la utilidad.

Perseverancia, consistencia, disciplina, rutina diaria, paciencia, el temor al Señor, la obediencia… ¿es posible que no veamos estas cualidades en los discípulos jóvenes porque ellos no las ven en los viejos que tiempo ha que fueran sus mentores?

El discipulado cuesta.

El gozo y el entusiasmo son parte de ello, eso sí. Pero el gozo y el entusiasmo vienen y se van como una tormenta tropical a menos que estén anclados en los deberes ya mencionados.

Ninguna fachada falsa de “ocupadez” engaña a Dios. No hay atajo que tome el lugar del trabajo y la consistencia. Los justos emergen de entre nosotros hoy… de la misma manera de siempre:

"Sino que en la ley de Jehová está su delicia, Y en su ley medita de día y de noche." (Salmo 1:2)

We don’t have time these days for a lot of things… even important things. Nevertheless, we will have time to die. We will have time for our appointment at the judgment seat of Christ, where “…each of us will give an account of himself to God." (Romans 14:12)

Have you gotten a little too comfortable with saying that you are too busy to pray? or to read the Bible for yourself? or to talk to others about what God has taught you? too busy for church? Yes, I get it.

Sadly though, people who are consistently so busy end up neglecting the important stuff. They seldom appear to be all that sad about being neglectful. And, they often do not seem to perceive just how negligent they have been with their spiritual life and that of their family.

It seems a convenient excuse. But, being too busy to be spiritually responsible is a false front. Nobody gets a pass to be disobedient. Nobody avoids the consequences of neglecting God, of not collaborating with one of his churches, of not working for the advancement of his kingdom.

"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, " (Luke 10:41)

We convince ourselves that our "busy-ness" is unavoidable… justified, even. But, it is not unavoidable. It is not justifiable. What happened is we flipped our list of priorities like a pancake. Maybe now it is time that we flip it back.

Seeking God first means that we have a fix on a few daily tasks that should never be compromised: alone time with God in his word… personal reflexion and prayer… personal involvement in sharing Christ and making a disciple. Who are you mentoring these days to aid their spiritual maturity and future leadership?

The road to growth and fruit is easily discernible. Many of us don’t travel it because it is long and there are no short cuts to our final destination. No visions… no dreams… no wild-eyed gifts of interpretation… no special signs and wonders done in our presence that transport us to that land of integrity and usefulness.

Perseverance, consistency, discipline, daily routine, patience, the fear of the Lord, obedience… is it possible that we don’t see these traits in up and coming disciples because they don’t see these traits in people old enough to be their mentors?

Discipleship costs.

Joy and enthusiasm are part of it, yes. But joy and enthusiasm come and go like a tropical squall when they are not anchored in the aforementioned duties.

No false front of "busy-ness" fools God. No short cut will ever displace work and consistency. The righteous emerge among us today in much the same manner as always:

"but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night." (Psalms 1:2)

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    Greg Smith

    Greg grew up in Menomonee Falls, WI. His ministry began in 1976: 5 years in Central America, 36 in Mexico. His passion is church planting and discipleship.
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    Greg enjoys being married to Carol Ahola-Smith. Both have been missionaries (Japan and Mexico); both watched their first spouses precede them in death.
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    Together, they have a heart for writing, mentoring and teaching.  They enjoy long walks and good coffee.

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