Part Time Growth

In slavery or "servanthood" as the gospel calls them, there were field hands and house slaves.  The work did not mix.  Field hands did not do kitchen work and house slaves did not dig in the dirt.  So the field hand comes inside after doing his "dutiful work" in the fields and expects to get fed.  "I did my job. Now I am owed.  Someone feed me."  Well, he gets asked to feed the master.  He does not see this as his job, but he is a slave, and so does it.  I bet his attitude was in need of some recovery.

Is it not this way in spiritual growth?  We decide what is "enough" work in this area each day.  Then we want to do something else.  Give God some time but no surprise requests, please.  The surprises, out of our control, is when the real growth begins.  The other stuff was for maintenance.  I think of friends in recovery who go to meetings, pray, read recovery stuff and think they are growing holy by the minute.  Big ego runs into unexpected phone call asking for help.  This really is God calling in the voice of a suffering human being.  Oh, you are too tired from all your good work for the day?  Remember Jesus in the Garden scene?  "Stay awake and pray with me,"  he asks.  Jesus is distraught.  His buddies go to sleep.  You never know when your Gethsemene request for help will come along.  It never comes on my schedule.  God does me like that.