Hetrunhtnn (Teaching Place)

Oh Lord, how many are Your works!

In wisdom You have made them all;
The earth is full of Your possessions.
--Psalm 104:24

Living On Purpose at The Speed Of Life --with Brian Heaphy

Lifes 3-D Challenge
Not too long ago, a gentleman asked me to share my opinion regarding what it was that I perceived to be the greatest
challenge facing todays Christians. Initially, that seemed to be an overly broad topic to address, as the present-day social
climate certainly yields much to choose from in the way of external opposition. Even so, I was confident as I explained to this
man that the greatest obstacles that Christians face today are almost always the result of their own personal habits.
I believe that the biggest hindrance to any persons ability to succeed in all areas of life is a combined lack of discernment,
diligence, and dependability--call it a 3-D problem if you will. This problem equates to the aggregate deficit of wisdom that
inevitably results from a lack of Bible study. It is that simple. There isnt a person alive on this planet who could not benefit
from increased Bible study. We all have much to learn--and much that needs to be reinforced. We cannot know how to live
life to its fullest, and how to please God by doing everything unto the Lord, unless we know and understand His wisdom
and His instruction concerning every dimension of living (2 Timothy 3:16).
The greatest competitor to Bible study, and the greatest plague of the modern age, is busy-ness. This ailment manifests
itself in the forms of shallow, short-sighted hyper-activity, trivial distractions, and entertainment. From the moment we
wake up to the moment that we retire each day, Satan ensures that we will have the opportunity to ignore our greatest need
by virtue of the countless and meaningless pursuits, distractions, and ideologies with which he has filled the world. For
many, the daily battle is lost before they even leave their homes. Television, newspaper, and Internet habits often crowd
reading, and meditating on Gods Word, right off of the launching pad. These people begin their day with anything BUT
the Good News, and, in so doing, they cripple their days spiritual trajectory right from the start. From there, it is easy for
them to continue to lose ground as the worlds attractions grab at their un-renewed minds while they move through the
day amidst a sea of secular bombardments.
No matter who you are, or where you live in this world, it will take a determined, conscious effort to put, and keep, God in
first-place each and every day of your life. This is the only way to get off of the ground each dayand it is the only way to
fly after take-off. Even if everything else goes sour for you during the remainder of the day, you can rest at its end in the
knowledge that its beginning was in the win columnand that it was both pleasing to God and restorative to your soul
(Psalm 19:7).
Right being both trumps and precedes right doing every timeand when we are right with God, then His priorities
become our priorities. This means that fulfilling the Great Commission takes first-place on our to-do lists. For many
persons, this may call for a radical or ruthless shifting of priorities or loyalties. Most often, the solution is not to hurry our
pace so that we can fit more things into our days. This approach typically results in diminished or unsatisfactory quality,
output, and effectivenessand it robs God of the best effort that He deserves from us.

We need to always remember that God engineers enough time into each day for us to do ONLY the things that He would
have us do IN LOVE and WITH GRACE (1 Corinthians 16:14, 1 Peter 4:8-11). What is it about you that makes someone else

desire to become a Christian? What is it about your redeemed life that makes others want to know your Redeemer? We
want our lives to be as letters from God that can be read by all who see and interact with us. Better yet, we want to
make these letters of our lives to be love letters. In order to do this, we need to disengage from shallow, rushed, lowpriority activities--and add some depth, meaning, and sincerity to our outreach.
In an increasingly plastic society, quality stands out and commands attentionand God wrote the Book on quality! If we
are too busy to read His Word early and often, then we are simply too busy--and we are out of step with Gods plan for our
lives. We hinder our lives and our choices--as well as the experience of those around us, when we lack the discernment,
diligence, and dependability that can only result from the study of Gods Word (Joshua 1:8).

Brian Heaphy is a former U.S. Navy SEAL Officer, Federal Officer, and Wilderness Guide who now
makes his home in Alaskas remote upper Yukon River valley. While practicing a subsistence
lifestyle, he photographs Creation and writes about Living On Purpose at The Speed Of Life. TM
Brian most enjoys formatting his award-winning images as Scripture-versed note cards and
Christmas cards. These Christian cards (along with his museum-quality prints and stretchedcanvas products) are available for viewing and sales at www.brianheaphy.com (view the card
images and verses via the Product Information page). Brians work may also be found at fine art
galleries, museums, and gift shops nationwide.
All images and authorial texts Copyright Brian M. Heaphy
Scripture verses and verse segments are taken from The New American Standard Bible , Copyright 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977,
1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.