Pressed with many hardships throughout his ministries, the Apostle Paul declared in his very last writing: "I have fought the good fight." This statement always serves as a reminder in my life to live it wisely by choosing which fights in life we want to fight. Note that he did not write "I have fought well." It was not the fighting, but the fight, that was good.
Life offers us many opportunities, and with opportunities, risk, costs, and heartaches. But not every opportunity is our fight. Engaging ourselves in too many fights is a sure way to turn out as a loser in all those fights. We need to discern the fight(s) God want us to fight, and fight them well.
As an academic, that might mean that not every potential research student is worth supervising, not every unit is worth teaching, not every journal article is worth writing. More generally, not every goal is worth pursuing. Not every project is worth considering. Not every ministry is worth doing. Not every activity is worth attending. Not every committee is worth becoming part of. Because if you are pursuing them carelessly, unlike Paul, later in life you will regretfully say: "I have fought so many fights that were simply bad, trivial, and wrong!"
1 comment:
Halo ko Sen, so the bottom line is focus, isn't it?
I'd once heard someone say that the older we grow, the broader our view should be -- but the narrower our vision (focus) should be. In this contemplation, I believe you're referring to the latter?
pembelajar.blogspot.com
Post a Comment