It’s Friday, you’re probably tired, so let me liberate you a little. There are plenty of things that Jesus asks you to do, many things in his Word that you will have to think about, so perhaps do yourself a favour and don’t take on the burden of a whole load of stuff that Jesus doesn’t demand of you if you are feeling a little swamped. Let this thought liberate you: if it’s not in the Bible, you don’t have to do it.
There are many things that may or may not be helpful. Many things that we might think would benefit us in some way. Many things that it might be good for us to do in our community, for our community, and that may in some way serve the cause the gospel. All these things you are a free to do. They may even be good to do. But it pays to remember, you are finite and if Jesus hasn’t specifically asked you to do them, you are equally free not to do them.
I think blogging is a helpful medium. I think it is a good thing. I think it has served the cause of the gospel in Oldham. But it pays to remember that Jesus hasn’t specifically called me to blog. I am free not to do it because it isn’t in the Bible.
The same is true of any potentially good thing your might be thinking about doing. If you think it is helpful and you have the capacity to do it, that’s great. But if you are wondering how you will do it, it is sapping your joy, it is not causing you to glorify Christ and he hasn’t specifically asked you to do it, then maybe just don’t. Unless Jesus has specifically called you to do this thing in his Word, you don’t have to do it.
Be freed by that thought. Do what he calls you to do, do those things you think are helpful and for which you have capacity and you feel are a good use of your time that he doesn’t ask you to do, and feel free to just not do those things he hasn’t called you to do. Others may have their opinions, but if Jesus says you don’t have to do it (or hasn’t said you must) then be free not to do it. He will think none the less of you for it.
Really like this minimalist approach to the Bible. Minimalist not in the sense of it being a tickbox exercise or getting away having done the bare minimum but minimalist in the sense of what’s there in the Word.