Let's deal with the root of my current problem. The balancing act of my life involves trying to match up time and energy, both of which are often in short supply, with responsibilities and opportunities, both of which seem to come from an endless supply. With so much in the air, why add another ball into the juggling act? If I am fighting to remain faithful in fulfilling my responsibilities to my wife, work and in my local church already, do I really need to add another responsibility? Will it not just be an additional distraction to keep me from doing what I should already be doing? With one rather large reason why I perhaps shouldn't do what I have just done, there are three clear reasons why I have started this website.
1. Product pushes productivity.
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16
I found out a long time ago I work best under pressure. It led to numerous overnight stays in the library at university before exams and deadlines, and probably to my current job in commercial law. It translates into ministry as well. If a subject captures my interest, I can read, study and think all about it. However, with no firm deadline or opportunity to present or discuss the material, most of these thoughts simply fade away, or worse, end up on a scrap of paper somewhere in my bible. I can type as fast as I can write and spend a large part of my week near a computer, sometimes with slots of free time at rather inopportune moments. What if I transformed that scribble on the back of an order of service into a short article? What if I was able to redeem the pockets of time that I have at the most inconvenient of times? Doing so will allow me not only to make best use of the time given to me, but also allow me to continue to develop and distill what I have seen in God's Word after I leave my bible at home in the morning to go to work.
I already produce a large amount of material. I preach regularly at church, contribute to bible studies each week and, due to the nature of how we celebrate the Lord's Supper, have the opportunity to minister with short, Christ-centered, expositions every Sunday. What if I could somehow harness this already established production line, enhancing it by adding the work that never would have been completed? Having a reason to bring more ‘products’ through ‘production’ (for lack of a better analogy) should lead to a higher level of productivity.
2. Creation creates clarity.
Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. 2 Timothy 2:7
"It seemed like a good idea at the time". The frequency of this phrase in my life says a great deal about both the effectiveness of my ideas and the patience of my wife. Flights at 6am, or 11pm, in order to maximise time at either end. Keeping a road bike in the cupboard in our apartment, just in case my appetite for cycling was unaffected by moving from rural Northern Ireland to frantic central London. Booking a cheaper hostel for a few nights on our honeymoon because the reviews weren't that bad. All great ideas in my head that, when it came to experiencing them, turned out to make slightly less sense.
If it is only when a painter puts a brush to the canvass that she can see the depth and definition of her image, or when a carpenter puts his chisel to the wood that he can finalise the finishing touches of his design, we shouldn't be surprised that it isn't until our thoughts are articulated that they take on a certain level of accuracy. Good ideas in our heads can turn out to be less so on paper. But there is only one way to find out. For those of us who think best when in conversation with others, a blank page is the conversation partner who is always ready to talk.
3. Doing drives discipline.
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:6-7
How do you turn potential into actuality? If practice is needed to turn a potential footballer into an actual footballer, we shouldn't be surprised that we need to use practice to develop our gifts for ministry. After all, fanning a flame takes some work. I've long desired to turn my hand to writing. It is a medium that allows for both more precision and greater depth than the spoken word. And while a picture paints a thousand words, my third year art teacher can attest to the fact that I was always going to do a better job with a thousand words.
How will I discover whether this medium of communication suits my style and situation? How will I continue to develop my spiritual gifts within this new context? Writing, and lots of it. Doing it over and over again until it becomes a habit, a natural way of expressing myself that is imbedded in the rhythms of my life. To do so will require discipline. But it will also create discipline, which is something that I desperately need. As determined as I am to apply myself to something when I start, I often find myself flagging a few weeks in and eventually letting it fall by the wayside. This website will be yet another arena in which the Lord can train me to work diligently, and in a disciplined manner, in order to fulfill my ministry.
What about that elephant?
Despite the well thought through reasons cited above, there is of course still the root of my current problem, acting as a rather large elephant in the room of my mind. However, rather than allow it to stamp all over my ‘great’ idea, it is hoped that the approach that I will take in using this website will allow the elephant to leave my idea alone, at least a while. Perhaps even someday the two will become firm friends!
First, this approach will require a great deal of overlap. The content I will cover on this website will almost certainly overlap with the teaching series I am preparing for my local church, the expositions I am giving, the books I am reading and the conversations I am having. It is hoped that this website will result in better work, not necessarily more work. For all the talk of production, it is more likely to be a shop window for the products I am already working on, rather than a manufacturing plant for a new range of random creations.
Secondly, the format of the articles will vary. Some may be long and slightly personal (like this one). Others may be thoughtfully planned and prepared, springing up from bible study and ministry. While some may contain my full thoughts on an issue, with plenty of references and a balanced conclusion, most articles are likely to be short and rough. I will often not have time for anything other than typing out what I have just thought and proof reading it once. In such posts, I apologise in advance for the lack of clarity. I also apologise in advance for my spelling and grammar. After all, while my third year art teacher thought I had a better chance with words, my third year english teacher wouldn't have been so sure.
ALEXANDER ARRELL