GET MUCH OUT

GET MUCH OUT:

The third law of thermodynamics states that the entropy (lack of order; gradual decline into disorder) of a system approaches a constant value as the temperature approaches absolute zero.

Newton’s Third Law of Motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Say WHAT?

Today’s blog isn’t about physics or chemistry. Don’t hit the “back” button on your browser; you did NOT accidentally click on Phil Nye The Science Guy’s website. I’ll bring this back around in just a sec.

Chances are that at least one significant role-model in your life (parent, coach, teacher, pastor, etc.) bombarded you with the phrase “You get out of it what you put into it!” at some point in your life. As it turns out - they were pretty much spot on.

Sure, for some people certain things come easier. I knew guys growing up who didn’t have to study much at all, yet they blew through high school with straight A’s. I’ve known people who didn’t have to workout or eat right, yet they were thin. I’ve know people who didn’t have to spend much time practicing or training, yet athletics came super easy to them. Those are the kind of people who ultimately fail in life. The first time things get tough they fold like a cheap suit and wither like sprouts planted in shallow rocky soil.

Back in the 1800’s Samuel Pierpont Langley was a renown, accomplished, and award winning physicist, inventor, and astronomer. He was a professor of mathematics at the U.S. Naval Academy, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institute, and founder of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Langley had quite the impressive resume. At one point Langley was basically given a blank check to invent the first manned, powered, and controlled aircraft. Langley began around 1887, but eventually gave up in October of 1903 after two planes crashed on takeoff. Meanwhile, two tenacious men with significantly less notable intellect and resumes, Orville and Wilbur Wright, invested, persisted, and succeeded in being first to achieve manned, powered, controlled flight on December 17, 1903.

Langley got out of it - mediocrity and failure - what he put into it personally - nothing. The Wright Bros. got out of it - success - what they put into it - blood, sweat, tears, and scrappy persistence. In a diseased culture of abused welfare, tolerance, handouts, entitlement, government and forced employer subsidized birth control, participation trophies, and zero consequences - we have the audacity to wonder how and why things are so chaotic in “the world” today.

Church in our culture today has become a lot like a spectator sport or movie watching experience rather than a corporate, collaborative, mission-oriented venture. Lots of sporadic church attendees I’ve spoken with, and listened to, over the years have said something along the line of, “I just don’t get much out of it.” Therein lies the rub. Do you hear that little voice from the past saying, “You get out what you put in!”

Imagine having gone through new employee orientation where they explain your job and responsibilities. Then you walk in on Monday about 30 minutes late, grab a comfy chair as you plop down in your boss’s office and just sit there the rest of the day - waiting to be entertained, counseled, or served. Meanwhile, your boss, and other employees, are busy answering emails, talking to and working with clients, plugging away… and you just show up day-after-day, week-after-week...

Then one day around lunch time you say, “Yeah Boss, I’m gonna go ahead and split. I don’t know if I’m coming back in today - or tomorrow. I’m not really getting much out of this. You’re not making me laugh. I’m not really learning anything new. I’m bored out of my mind. I’m not getting anything out of this.” What employer in their right mind would tolerate such incompetence? What organization would argue with a parasitic employee and beg them to stay on the team? There’s only one I can think of...

The third law of thermodynamics states that the entropy (lack of order; gradual decline into disorder) of a system approaches a constant value as the temperature approaches absolute zero. In Matthew 24:12 Jesus said, “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold…”

Newton’s Third Law of Motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Proverbs 18:9 reads, “Whoever is lazy regarding his work is a brother to the master of destruction.”

When the faithful in Christ gather on Sunday mornings what are you putting in? What is your contribution in terms of time, talent, and treasure? The only excuse for not serving the Bride of Christ a lack of faith, i.e. someone in whom the Holy Spirit is working; someone who is “kicking the tires” of this Christianity “thing.” Beyond that - there are no excuses. We all have jobs, we all have kids, we all have issues, we’re all tired, we’re all stressed in various ways, and yet some manage to show up to serve and contribute in some way as equal members of the Body of Christ. If you have been deluded into thinking your grand contribution is to regularly complain, critique, and criticize - you are instead the blight of Christian fellowship. Christ is the head - not you.

The Church today is fast approaching a state of entropy - decline into disorder - as the hearts of our congregations approach the frozen state of absolute zero-interest. The equal and opposite reaction of dispassionate, disconnected, convenience & consumer-minded, spectator Christianity is exactly the present condition of our hearts, homes, and country, i.e. disorder and chaos.

What if Jesus had said, “Yeah, ummm Father... this whole getting nailed to the cross thing… I don’t really see me getting much out of it?” Instead Paul wrote, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” Perfectly conformed into benevolent, sacrificial, loving, humble service.

What are you putting into it? Who are you serving regularly, consistently, patiently, and obediently - or is that somebody else's responsibility? The author of the New Testament book of Hebrews wrote, “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!”

Quitting, blaming, church-hopping, criticizing, and rationalizing are all easy roads. In Matthew 24:12 Jesus said, “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold…” In fact it will grow so cold it will reach a state of entropy - chaos and disorder - as it approaches absolute zero interest in the mission of God.

Pray Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me,” over and over in scrappy, persistent, tenacious brokenness, blood, sweat, and tears; then experience the kind of new birth Jesus spoke with Nicodemus about (John 3:1-21).

Blessings,

-Kevin M. Kelley

aMostUnlikelyDisciple.com