"Sacked"

All tied up

Get Ready, Steady, Go recall the childhood sports day when we lined up with excitement and anticipation of the greatest event ever.     Olympics 2012 eat your heart out, these where the races that mattered.    I am sure  some you stood ready in the ‘egg & spoon race’, looking down on the egg in a spoon and concentrating to keep it there, set in the curve of the spoon.   For others it might have been the ‘sack race’, standing in a bag, a coarse sacking bag at that, not only that but with shorts on, it was like standing in a bag made of sand paper ready to jump to victory.    For a few it might have been the great British race that made so many world champions, the ‘three legged race’, two legs tied as one, it did not matter the different shape and stature of each child, just tie them together at the knee and ankle, the tall, the small, the large, the short, mixed shape teams, that’s the spirit of competing, being there.     I am not sure if it was fun or just physical abuse sending children out to be competitive with all the hindrances of a sack or a rope and an egg.    It was fun though!     We stood in a row glaring, sizing up the opponents and then hearing the words “Ready…Steady…Go” and off we went.    There where some congenital races as well on the school sports field!

In the opening words of Psalm 108 (Message) we are greeted with a Ready, it’s a declaration not form an official or  third-party but form an individual declaring their stat of life, it’s a very different “…ready…” to the picture of childhood experience painted previously.   This “…ready…” positions us in life it has a full life impact; it creates a buzz throughout the body, mind and soul.   The Psalmist makes his intent known, lifts himself to an “I’m ready” it delivers an awakening declaration, wake up sleepy-head environment, no more lethargy but a let me at life in its fullness.

Feel the “I’m ready” its pulsating, its let me at it, what ever has gone on or not gone on there is a conclusion to that season and what ever situation he finds himself handling.    Now its Ok world, Ok situation, Ok events, Ok inner person “I’m Ready”.   The writer goes on to sum it up with the notion I’m awake and it wakes all around so “Wake” to all that is within my influence and beyond, this readiness brings an awaken-ness, it has an implication of I am fully in the open, out in the midday sun and ready for action.    “I’m ready” in this Psalm transforms the  environment, as he calls on the sun, the sleepy-head sun to adjust, it is full and effective to all that hear.

My readiness awakes, brings alive and transforms my inner and outer being, it extends to affect the song of my life, that inner tune or rhythm we each carry.  It awakes the tune that life is dances to,  and to my environment it is transformational and brings joy.

I’m ready to be TRANSFORMATIONAL.

I’m ready to be IMPACTIVE.

I’m ready is FUNDAMENTAL to life for each and every one of us.

In the New American Translation it’s worded not as ”I’m ready” but as “..fix your heart…”, it takes the person on a transforming course, what ever you fix your mind and heart upon will have an effect on you.   So come to a fixation as it is –

TRANSFORMATIONAL,

IMPACTIVE,

FUNDAMENTAL,

The issue really is, on what do you fix your heart, eyes and mind upon?   in Colossians we are told to “…fix your eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…” a good fixation.    The decision of what to fill your eye with, your mind’s eye is so foundational to life,  Jesus, is foundational to us all therefore is so radical to each life.    Here is a thought, we must fix our heart on foundations elements rather than any thing superficial,  as all superficial things will  pass and will not have a lasting and trust worthy effect.     It’s necessary to have this fixation on the Christ of God, it’s a must.

So where ever you are in life, fix on the foundational things, otherwise any other fixation will just become an obsession to you in life, this practice that is meant to be empowering and transforming just comes to be an obsession.    Fixation that becomes transformational or  an obsession is our considered article?     One and only one fixation is healthy to life, to fix our selves on the author of life and life more abundantly.

So “fix your heart” be “I’m ready” this is a practice, a breakthrough that is necessary in life, make it an every morning event, and every evening event, a way of constant rhythm in your daily routine, get to the place of transforming the environment you walk into due to your fixation.   In other words my fixing of heart, the ‘I’m ready’ becomes the ingredient that is necessary for us all and as you can bring your fixation on the Christ t to effect on others rather than your obsessions it become the catalyst of lives.    What is it for us an obsession or foundational it’s very important as the “I’m ready” gives you an influence and a your reasons for action.    at your worst account an obsessions will rule and make you act for its sake where as the fixation on Jesus is foundational to life and empowering to life in all its glory, drawn towards the fixation, it become s a leading drawing beacon rather than a destructive obsession.     Fix on music; celebrity, money, etc., all these superficial things will ultimately destroy you as obsession takes over your thought, spending, words, and actions.    Non of us wish to live an obsessive life rather make a choice to get ready and fix on a life-giving focus.      Where as to fix on an established foundation, builds until ultimately you will become part of the same stuff as the foundation you have fixed on that becomes your source.

So chose your “fixation”, your ‘I’m ready’, be transformational, awake the sunshine over someone, over the circumstances of their life.   The impact of the readiness is  outlined further in the Psalm:

THOUGHTS ON PSALM 108:1

We praise God with a fixedness of heart. Our heart must be employed in the full thought of O God! my heart is fixed, and then I will sing and give praise. Wandering straggling thoughts must be gathered in.

The opening verse is prepared in the ‘Message’ with so ready there are 5 readies repeated “I’m ready, God, so ready, ready from head to toe. Ready to sing, ready to raise a God-song”.   Is he ready or is he ready!