Big Rocks
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt. 6:28-34)
There is a story about a consultant who was talking to a bunch of business executives about time management and priorities. After a brief introduction on his topic he said, “I want to demonstrate an important point by using a little object lesson.” He pulled out a clear, one gallon jar from behind the podium and set it down. He said, “This is your life.” Then he brought out a box of baseball-sized rocks and he said, “How many rocks do you think I can get into this jar?” As he began to place them into the jar he said, “These are the really important issues you have in your life.” He asked them to name what priorities the rocks might represent. Participants called out “Family,” “Job,” “Recreation” and so on. After placing 6 rocks into the jar, the jar was full. He tried to maneuver the rocks around and get another one into the container but couldn’t. So he said, “Okay, guys. Is the jar full?” They all said, “Yes, it’s full.” Then he reached down behind the podium and brought out a pan full of gravel and poured it into the jar, filling in all the gaps. Then he said, “Is it full now?” They had caught on by now and they said, “No.” And they were right because then he brought out a pan of very fine sand and poured it into the jar and he shook it down until it all had settled. He patted the sand down and made sure it was filled to the very top of the jar and he said, “Is it full now?” Some said, “Yes.” some said, “No.” Then he brought out a pitcher of water and he poured it in. He got almost a quart of water in the jar.
He said, “That’s you and that’s how you spend your time. What’s the lesson?” They thought for a moment and one of them said, “I guess the lesson is that you’ve always got time to fit other demands into your life.” The consultant said, “Not at all. That’s not the lesson.” Somebody else said, “I guess what it means is in the middle of all the big, important things you do there are always gaps in your time.” He said, “No, that’s not it either.” They gave a few more answers and he said, “Wrong.” “Wrong.” “Wrong.” Finally, they gave up. He said, “The lesson is this; If I hadn’t put the big rocks in first, I never would have gotten them in.” If you don’t prioritize the big rocks in your life, you never will fit them in.
In the passage above, Jesus was giving his own mini seminar on priorities and time management. His discussion on the topic occurs right in the middle of a message known as the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus was well aware of the struggles we all have with maintaining proper priorities and that we all waste far too much time on unnecessary worry. Chances are even as you are reading these very words; you are worried about some major concern in your life. Sometimes life can seem like a never ending “struggle-to-juggle” the competing priorities in our life. It seems we all have more big rocks than jar space. The result is that our lives are often filled with more stress and anxiety than we know how to handle. We try to rearrange and reorganize - doing our best to fit everything in. Our jars get packed tighter and tighter as we try to squeeze in just one more thing. Eventually comes the inevitable. What happens when you keep trying to push and pack more things into a glass jar then it’s designed to hold? The stress finally gets to the point where it can hold no more and something’s going to give.
If you are feeling the pressure of an overfilled jar, trying to squeeze in one more thing is definitely the wrong approach. What you need to do is start over. Empty the jar completely and place the big rocks in first. Jesus reminds His followers that only two big rocks really need to be placed into the jar. First, an ongoing desire for the establishment of His Kingdom. Second, an ongoing desire for His righteousness in our life. * “His Kingdom” is the rule and authority of Christ in our daily lives. It involves consciously accepting and submitting our aspirations, desires, our jobs, our families, our very lives to his sovereign reign. A King rules His land comprehensively. He rules with absolute authority. His subjects must submit to His royal decrees. So it must be with Christ reigning over us. * “His Righteousness” involves “living rightly.” We live in a world where everyone says they have a right to do what is right in their own eyes. Seeking His Righteousness is more than accepting His right to rule, but committing to living rightly as defined and illustrated in the Bible. Our decisions, our thinking, our behaviors, our attitudes, even our emotions are brought into submission to the instruction of His Word. Establishing his righteousness acknowledges that there are some “rocks” that don’t belong in the jar at all.
The consultant who used the rock illustration was right – if you don’t put the big rocks into the jar first – the other gravel and sand issues of our life will fill our lives to overflowing. As a result we will constantly be filled with worry and stress. Empty yourself today and allow the Rock of Ages his rightful place in your life. “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24)
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
There is a story about a consultant who was talking to a bunch of business executives about time management and priorities. After a brief introduction on his topic he said, “I want to demonstrate an important point by using a little object lesson.” He pulled out a clear, one gallon jar from behind the podium and set it down. He said, “This is your life.” Then he brought out a box of baseball-sized rocks and he said, “How many rocks do you think I can get into this jar?” As he began to place them into the jar he said, “These are the really important issues you have in your life.” He asked them to name what priorities the rocks might represent. Participants called out “Family,” “Job,” “Recreation” and so on. After placing 6 rocks into the jar, the jar was full. He tried to maneuver the rocks around and get another one into the container but couldn’t. So he said, “Okay, guys. Is the jar full?” They all said, “Yes, it’s full.” Then he reached down behind the podium and brought out a pan full of gravel and poured it into the jar, filling in all the gaps. Then he said, “Is it full now?” They had caught on by now and they said, “No.” And they were right because then he brought out a pan of very fine sand and poured it into the jar and he shook it down until it all had settled. He patted the sand down and made sure it was filled to the very top of the jar and he said, “Is it full now?” Some said, “Yes.” some said, “No.” Then he brought out a pitcher of water and he poured it in. He got almost a quart of water in the jar.
He said, “That’s you and that’s how you spend your time. What’s the lesson?” They thought for a moment and one of them said, “I guess the lesson is that you’ve always got time to fit other demands into your life.” The consultant said, “Not at all. That’s not the lesson.” Somebody else said, “I guess what it means is in the middle of all the big, important things you do there are always gaps in your time.” He said, “No, that’s not it either.” They gave a few more answers and he said, “Wrong.” “Wrong.” “Wrong.” Finally, they gave up. He said, “The lesson is this; If I hadn’t put the big rocks in first, I never would have gotten them in.” If you don’t prioritize the big rocks in your life, you never will fit them in.
In the passage above, Jesus was giving his own mini seminar on priorities and time management. His discussion on the topic occurs right in the middle of a message known as the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus was well aware of the struggles we all have with maintaining proper priorities and that we all waste far too much time on unnecessary worry. Chances are even as you are reading these very words; you are worried about some major concern in your life. Sometimes life can seem like a never ending “struggle-to-juggle” the competing priorities in our life. It seems we all have more big rocks than jar space. The result is that our lives are often filled with more stress and anxiety than we know how to handle. We try to rearrange and reorganize - doing our best to fit everything in. Our jars get packed tighter and tighter as we try to squeeze in just one more thing. Eventually comes the inevitable. What happens when you keep trying to push and pack more things into a glass jar then it’s designed to hold? The stress finally gets to the point where it can hold no more and something’s going to give.
If you are feeling the pressure of an overfilled jar, trying to squeeze in one more thing is definitely the wrong approach. What you need to do is start over. Empty the jar completely and place the big rocks in first. Jesus reminds His followers that only two big rocks really need to be placed into the jar. First, an ongoing desire for the establishment of His Kingdom. Second, an ongoing desire for His righteousness in our life. * “His Kingdom” is the rule and authority of Christ in our daily lives. It involves consciously accepting and submitting our aspirations, desires, our jobs, our families, our very lives to his sovereign reign. A King rules His land comprehensively. He rules with absolute authority. His subjects must submit to His royal decrees. So it must be with Christ reigning over us. * “His Righteousness” involves “living rightly.” We live in a world where everyone says they have a right to do what is right in their own eyes. Seeking His Righteousness is more than accepting His right to rule, but committing to living rightly as defined and illustrated in the Bible. Our decisions, our thinking, our behaviors, our attitudes, even our emotions are brought into submission to the instruction of His Word. Establishing his righteousness acknowledges that there are some “rocks” that don’t belong in the jar at all.
The consultant who used the rock illustration was right – if you don’t put the big rocks into the jar first – the other gravel and sand issues of our life will fill our lives to overflowing. As a result we will constantly be filled with worry and stress. Empty yourself today and allow the Rock of Ages his rightful place in your life. “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24)
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
posted by Larry | 11:05 AM
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