Growing up, my father constantly worked. He was a child of the Great Depression. His repeated mantra for his busyness was, “I have too many irons in the fire.” There is a strong genetic link to his youngest daughter: me.
THE IRONS WERE MULTIPLYING
My week has been a doozy. Currently, I’m in the process of learning the ropes at a new employer. After leaving work Monday I received a message from my doctor’s office to go straight to the ER for tests to determine if I was experiencing a new pulmonary embolism. After 6 hours at the ER, all the testing was negative, but I still had no answers. My mind was thrown off track. The irons were multiplying in the fire of my heart and mind.
MY WORST NIGHTMARE
Three days later, Thursday afternoon, I woke up from a power nap. It was 6 PM. I checked my calendar and realized I was supposed to be leading the Writers Group at 6:30PM at GCC. For years, my recurring nightmare is discovering I’m scheduled for a major commitment, and I am not prepared in the slightest. In the nightmare, I cannot even locate where the event is to be.
I couldn’t think straight as I raced to GCC. My dream became reality, especially when I arrived at church and found out that our scheduled room was occupied by another group. Where were we to meet?
The entirety of the events of the week occupied major space in my heart. I couldn’t think straight. I’m glad I didn’t drive past a metal detector. I had so many “irons in the fire” that the metal alarms would have been shrieking.
GUARD YOUR HEART
The Apostle John speaks to this: Little children (believers, dear ones), guard yourselves from idols—[false teachings, moral compromises, and anything that would take God’s place in your heart]. (I John 5:21 AMP) My paraphrase is: “Dear believers, guard your hearts so that all those ‘irons in the fire’ do not occupy (and explode into shrapnel) your heart and take the place of God.”
THE IDOL OF SELF-DETERMINATION
God humbled me. My computer presentation for the class did not exist, my energy level was depleted, and my mental acuity was zero. I thought I had everything under control until God showed me it was just the idol of self-determination.
Maybe some of you have run into the same idol: thinking that no matter what, you can process a way through the greatest challenges. The Holy Spirit prompted me to throw the idol of self-determination out the car window. The wording of my prayer changed between home and GCC. I had been pleading, “Lord, I am so embarrassed, please don’t have anyone show up for class.” I now prayed “Lord, do whatever You want with whatever You have planned for this evening.”
GOD THREW OUT MY “IRONS”
And that’s exactly what He did. Just one person came, and it was totally God’s event. The conversation I had with one lone writer was an answer to previous prayers regarding growing a friendship with that particular participant. Self-determination certainly did not answer that prayer. It was God. He threw out my “irons”.
So, what are the irons in the fire that are occupying your heart and mind? John says, “Little children (believers, dear ones), guard yourselves from idols—[false teachings, moral compromises, and anything that would take God’s place in your heart].” In light of eternity, the schedules, anxieties, and responsibilities of this life are just a flicker. Don’t allow anything to take God’s place in your heart. Let go of the irons.