Life’s Expedition

"All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient" (1 Corinthians 6:12).

Is what you’re doing contributing to getting you where you want to be? Much of what we do often seems disconnected to where we want to wind up. I’m told that the word “expedient” has as its root the word from which comes our word “expedition,” and actually means “bringing toward a destination.” How can one better utilize his time so that what he is doing is actually moving him toward his destination?

First, I must have a sense of where I want to go–a goal–a purpose. Goals should be guided by priorities and for the Genuine Believer in Jesus Christ there is a hierarchy of priorities which help one in setting goals: God–Family–Life Calling (or vocation)–Church–Community.

Second, I should examine what I’m doing, or planning to do based upon the prioritized goals I’m seeking to accomplish. Will this activity, or decision, facilitate my accomplishing that goal? Many good things, are not expedient because they are not in keeping with God’s plan for my life. Suppose I prayerfully plan my day for Friday, and after sleeping on those plans Thursday Night, and prayerfully reviewing them Friday Morning, I set out to visit a family I believe, God has laid on my heart. Along the way, I see a widow’s lawn overgrown, and because she has no one to do the task, I’m overcome with such sympathy for her situation that I return to my home, change clothes, get my mower, and cut her grass. Now few would deny that I have done a very good deed and a very satisfying act. But is what I did, what I should have done?

The fact is, God expects me to be obedient to Him, and not settle for the good. He wants me to obey because “...obedience is better than sacrifice.” Therefore, I must conclude that the “good deed” I did was not “expedient” because it did not facilitate my accomplishing the goal, I believed God had set for me.

If God has given me a family, my goals in regards to them are clear: (1) Provide for their basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, security, education, spiritual development, and loving discipline. I must examine my decisions to ascertain if they enhance, or inhibit those goals.

My life calling, or vocation, is the tool through which I communicate God’s grace and mercy to the unbelieving world. That which I do should enhance my standing in that call without compromising the higher priorities. In other words, I should guard against doing anything which will reflect negatively upon my God or my family and will in any way limit my ability to communicate God’s love to others.

When I returned from Vietnam, I was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Arizona. God had begun a work in my life, but I was extremely inconsistent in my personal life. One day I asked a fellow Marine to attend church with me on the coming Sunday, and shortly thereafter I invited the same young man to go to a club across the state line in California with me after work. He looked at me and said, “Mike, I’ve watched you since I’ve been here, and the only difference between you and me is that while you’re in church on Sundays, I’m skiing on the lake.” He said, “You talk like me, you drink like me, you go to the same places I go. As far as I can see, you’re no different than me. Why would I want to go to church?”

God used the words of that young Marine to prick my heart and begin a transformation in my life which continues to this day. I was never able to lead that young Marine to Christ, and I’ve spend considerable hours in recent years trying to locate him, so that I can share what God is doing in my life. As far as I know, he has never been open to hearing Christ’s message because I was a very inconsistent example.

Make sure that what you are doing is helping you toward your ultimate destination of being the very best person you can be in Christ.

© 2009 Mike Rasberry faithwalk@usa.net