“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life . . . but with the precious blood of Christ . . .” 1 Peter 18-19
Sometime ago, Susan had written a post in her work blog about the Pareto Principle, an economic law that seems to govern many facets of life. There are many ways to explain and apply this principle, but the simplest one is that of the things you do during your day, only 20 percent really matters.
Forget the economics behind it. Just consider how we live out each day and we start to see how this simple idea holds true in our daily lives.
This past week’s message at Thanksgiving calls us to live a life of undivided concentration and focus on the things that matter, to eliminate the things that distract us from that concentration, and to live a life of holiness and reverent fear of God.
If we honestly look, examine, list, and account for all the things that we do in a day, what really matters?
Before we answer that question, we side track to a random confession which some of you probably know already but in case you didn’t, here it is: Every single post on this blog is written by Susan. While Jason sits on the couch reading his Bible, Susan sits infront of the computer writing about randomness. He likes to read but hates to write. Susan very much the opposite. He shares, she blogs. She thinks, she blogs. He reads, she blogs. He sleeps, she blogs. This blog is just a bunch of randomness that has consumed a ridiculous amount of Susan’s time, of which if we were to apply the Pareto Principal, we’re not sure if any of it [this blog, the time spent, the randomness] matters ultimately.
So back to the question that weighs heavily upon us. Of all the things that we do in a day, what really matters? And of all the things that we blog about (and mind you, we still use “we” because we are “one” and one blogs for two), what really matters?
The season of lent (the forty-day period before Easter) is here. Some of our friends take part in the observation of lent by giving up things that are addictive/distractive/time-consuming/painful-to-give-up. The idea is to let those time/soul/body consuming habits be replaced by a time of reflection, soul-searching, and repentance. This practice is more common among Catholics. We’ve never observed lent before because it’s not a tradition in our church background, but considering the Word of Truth that has penetrated our hearts, we’d like to try something different this year. It’s not the giving-up part of lent that matters, but what people do as a substitute. We won’t be giving up anything, but rather, to keep blogging and with more focus on the things that truly matter.
So the blogging continues. . .
The Lord speaks, she blogs. I mean we blog. We mean we blog.
Nevermind.
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