Hot Rods & JourneyMen

It may not look like much yet, but you should have seen it when it was still part of Pop's old 1966 Chevy C10 pickup truck! There was rust around the edges, and it was well worn, to say the least. It wasn't worth very much on the used jalopy market, but it's still worth plenty to me and Pop.

Just like a few of us JourneyMen, don't you think? Our original Designer built all kind of style and features into us, and over the years we burned rubber, raced the motor, went too long between oil changes, blew out the speakers, and pushed ourselves until we looked a little like Pop's truck before they took it apart.

Here's the good news. Just like the '66 Chevy truck, we are all in restoration, as the Master Mechanic takes us "off the frame" for repairs and fine tuning. We can be sure of this: As we submit to the process of restoration, God can and will finish the job and put us back out on the road again, shining and running with purpose and style.

"I'm just an old chunk of coal, but I'm gonna be a diamond some day." - Billy Joe Shaver

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:38-39

JourneyMen ARE the Workers of Matthew 9:37-38

Jesus said, “The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send out more workers for his fields.” (Matthew 9:37-38).

What do you think of when you hear these words? Who are "the workers"? Where are the "fields"? Was Jesus talking only about missionaries and foreign mission fields? Do you think "sending out more workers" necessarily means taking men from their jobs, trades and professions and re-deploying them to the church or the mission field?

What if we already ARE "the workers", and what if we are already IN "the fields"? If both are true, and there are millions of Christians already in the fields, then how can it be said that the workers are "few"?

Could it be that "the workers" think someone else is doing the work?

When it gets right down to it, how can we JourneyMen NOT be "the workers" of Matthew 9:37-38?

When we go to work, are we taking our calling seriously enough to really be operating as "the workers" Jesus spoke of? What does it look like to be the "workers" in the marketplace, in the office, and on the jobsite?

It is the calling and commitment of a JourneyMan to accept and carry out the Great Commission. A JourneyMan is not destined to conduct himself as a mere employee, employer, or business owner. He is not to merely "do his job and get out". Neither is he called to live a life of mediocrity, nor of "going through the motions".

On the contrary, a JourneyMan is called by God to a higher purpose of excellence, loyalty, prayer and service. He is to build Godly influence with those who are in "the fields". After all, a JourneyMan is SENT to the fields - God's fields - to cultivate them for the harvest. He is CALLED to pray for those in the fields, love them, serve them, lead them, and to set a living example.

A JourneyMan strives to be one of the best employees, employers, business owners, husbands, fathers and brothers “in the fields". His reputation should be such that others look to him as an example of Godly living and working, that he might have influence with those who are the living harvest of Matthew 9:37.

JourneyMen Require Margin

"Margin" (M) has been defined as the space between the "load" (L) on our lives and the "capacity" (C) we have to bear the load.

Margin = Capacity - Load

It's a simple enough concept, but not quite so simple in practice.

All we are responsible for doing, and all that we choose to take on, comprise the "load". Collectively, the load is much greater than it was a generation ago, and far greater than it has been for 99% of the history of mankind. We live in an information-soaked, constantly communicated, work and obligation-loaded, multi-tasked culture.

Each man's "capacity" is his own, and there are many physical, emotional and environmental variables. However, every one of us has 24 hours each day, no more and no less. We each need sufficient rest and exercise, mutually supportive relationships, reasonably healthy food, faith in God, knowledge of our God-given purposes and how to carry them out, and practical experience at effective living.

Depending upon capacity and load, margin can be positive or negative. When load exceeds capacity, margin has gone negative and has become "margin deficit". What does it look like? It looks like chronic multi-tasking. It looks like sleeping five or six hours a night to squeeze in evening activities and still beat commuter traffic in the morning. It looks like skipping our prayer and devotion time, or shortcutting family relationships to "get through" our paces. It looks like disheartenment, and even despair. It looks out of control, because it is. Many of us have been or are now in margin deficit.

Continuous margin deficit is hazardous to our health, our relationships, and our spiritual wellbeing. It causes and contributes to depression, fatigue, irritability, addictions, broken relationships, anxiety, sleep disorders and countless other maladies.

A positive margin is essential to a good life. Quality relationships with God and others are built "in the margin". These relationships suffer or die when margin goes negative. Many of us learn that our best creative thinking and planning is done "in the margin". We simply cannot be fully successful in living our lives as men of God - as JourneyMen - without some positive margin in our lives.

Once it has been given up, margin is difficult but not impossible to reclaim. Restoration of positive margin requires personal strategy and commitment, innovation and follow-through. We cannot reclaim margin by intending to do something about it, or by sleeping less. We must come up with specific, practical ideas to restore margin, then commit ourselves to implementing them.

Accountability is essential to progress: Once we have decided to restore margin in our lives, what are we doing about it?