Living the 167 is Not Easy

I'm pretty bad at "living in the 167". I'm selfish. I'm easily distracted and I'm busy with life. Excuses documented. Living in the "one" (the one hour a week we are at church) is easy. Coming to church, stamping my proverbial "Jesus time card", serving a little here and there… Not much effort is require on my part. But the other 167 hours of my week? This is where I fail miserably. 167 is a big number and I hate math.

I'd love to say that I ooze Jesus wherever I go or that others feel like they've felt God's love when we've met but I know sometimes they don't. Many times, I'd rather rush home and slam my garage door shut to avoid interacting with my neighbors. I'd rather let a call go straight to voicemail instead of saying "hello". And my shameful confession: More often that I care to admit, I'd rather have those 167 hours to myself. (Hey, I’m just keeping it real…).

Serving others is hard. Thinking of myself is easy. The reality is that Jesus didn't ask us to serve ourselves. He set the ultimate example as the ultimate servant in everything he did. 

"He sat down and summoned the Twelve. "So you want first place? Then take the last place. Be the servant of all." Mark 9:35 MSG

I think learning to fully live in "the 167" is a process. I'd love to be miraculously self-less when I wake up tomorrow morning but I'm human and that's not likely. What I can do though, is take it one step at a time. The very first place for me to start is to spend time, daily time, cultivating this love relationship with my Creator. How can I imitate someone that I don’t know or spend time with? And what about my immediate circle of influence - my home? When my kids ask me to play, accept their offer instead of doing something less important. Use the phrase "Mommy's working right now" less. Who knew that a quick game of hide and seek could bring such a shriek of laughter out of our two kids? (Note to self - Hiding under the bed doesn't work after you get to be a certain age. It's a little harder to get out.) I can (and should) speak with love and respect to my husband. Honor him. Believe in him. Support him. Don’t nag him. Trust him.

If those I am around every single day and those who know me the best don’t see Jesus alive and evident in my daily life, I’ve failed. I’m a work in progress and living in the 167 isn’t easy. But I’m willing to try. I’m willing to leap and maybe fall flat on my face once in a while. Why? Because it means I’m finally doing SOMETHING! It means that I’m not standing on the sidelines. It means that I’m willing to participate in life. It means that maybe those 167 hours I have to spend can start to become less about me and more about truly living life the way God intended it. 

 - Rachel Richard