The highlight of day three might surprise you - but it had nothing to do with former President Clinton speaking at the Verizon Center. In fact, I have to confess I didn't even go hear him. It happened between 7 and 8 AM at the Partners in Christ Prayer Breakfast where Amy Lucia, former Microsoft marketing guru for the US shared her life story with the room. Amy didn't share her story to tell all of us to quit what we are doing and find a new place to go to work. In fact, she was very clear that leaving Microsoft had nothing to do with Microsoft at all actually. It was all about God's call on her life, and her desire to walk in obedience to His leading.
God is in the business of calling and leading each of us. That is how He works. Through prayer, His Holy Scriptures in the Bible, and equally importantly - solitude with Him. We need to learn to slow down, stop and listen. In this rat race chaotic industry we are part of, solitude is a rare commodity. Many would say it doesn't even exist. But it does if we make it priority. If we put the need to seek God's voice ahead of rushing around - it can happen. That means no computer, no PDA, no email, no phone, no nothing - except quiet. Do you even know what that looks like? Many of us have never experienced it. We just rush through life and find out that we missed a turn somewhere back a ways. It doesn't have to be that way.
Amy talked about the need for life/work balance and how that wasn't happening at Microsoft. It is difficult in the business culture of the day. We are always pressing toward the next thing. We are always trying to climb the next step of the ladder or close that last deal. And as a result of our unwillingness (yes it is a choice we make) people around us suffer as do we ourselves. Families are in shambles because we make the wrong choice. We can justify it all day long - making more money to give you more stuff you really don't need - but doing it for you. Ever said that one? It is BS and we need to call it what it is - self centered driven behavior.
The reason this breakfast and the morning devotions we hold each day at WPC are so important is that it gives a break from the high speed full intensity experience of the week. There is no solitude anywhere in the WPC schedule. So we have to choose to make some. There is no solitude built into anyone's schedule unless we put it there. And that is key to our ability to discover what God's plan is for our lives. We will never stumble upon it. We have to seek it so we can find it. We have to make prayer and bible study part of our daily routine. It won't just fit in - we have to choose it over other things we could be doing. But when we do, God shows up. When we put Him first - great things happen.
Do you know what the purpose of your life is? Do you have a life plan? Or are you just running til you drop and hoping it all matters somehow? The odds are much higher if you put your focus on discovering the Master's plan and aligning with that. It takes work - hard work - to seek God and find out how your story fits into His Story. But it can be done, and I encourage you to make time to do it.
The IT industry has far too long been consumed with the activity of the technology. It is time to balance that with the meaningful things - the activity of life. Life has to trump work and business even though that is against everything we are taught and told. We can't check our faith at the door. It has to be core to who we are and how we live moment by moment. I know - I tried the other way for years and was frustrated and ineffective. Let God have control of your life. Put some balance back in place, and see where He leads you.
Henry Blackaby puts it this way in his book - "Experiencing God". "What our world often is seeing in our day is a devoted, committed Christian serving God. But, they are not seeing God. They comment on what we are doing, however they do not see anything happening that only can be explained in terms of the activity of God.
The world comes to know God when they see God’s nature expressed through His activity. When God starts to work, He accomplishes something that only He can do. If you or your church are not responding to God and attempting things that only He can accomplish, then you are not exercising faith.When you start to do what He tells you to do, He brings to pass what He has purposed".
Does God see the world in the way you live? Do you see God at work? If not, time to start paying attention. He is at work. He wants us to join Him. Thanks Amy, for helping us see how that looks in real life!
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