Function vs. Appearance

Last week God used a shopping experience of mine to illustrate a lesson He was teaching me.  I was looking for a messenger bag for daily use and had done some online research then looked around in a few stores.  I pretty much narrowed everything down to two bags.  One bag online that was the "Jack"(24) bag and this Eddie Bauer bag from Target.  The "Jack" bag looks really cool and would probably fit better w/ my body.  And it's Jack Bauers bag!  Though the bag didn't seem to have as many compartments or the padded protection I was looking for.  On the other hand, the Eddie Bauer bag had lots of compartments for organization and padded protection for electronics.  However, I was a little concerned that the bag was too big and would make me look ridiculously small. 

This sounds absolutely ridiculous, but I probably spent an hour trying to decide if i would buy the Eddie Bauer bag before I left.  The next day i came back and was there for almost as long, when it kind of hit me hard how ridiculous my inability to make a decision was.  Moreover,  i became perplexed when I realized how my reasoning over these bags put into perspective some of the things i'd been getting in my quiet times, sermons, and conversations w/ spiritual mentors. 

I've been busying myself trying to do an in depth study and exigesis on the New Testament and been trying to do book reviews on "Christian Classics."  Unfortunately, in my quest to get all this studying done I'd forgotten the reason why I was doing all this preparation.  I was so consumed with analytical reading of text and trying to extract information that I never gave God the opportunity to speak to me through His word.  I was like the "Jack bag."  At first glance everything looks good and cool, but really I was useless.  I want to be like the Eddie Bauer bag.  May not look as hip and cool as the "Jack bag", but I'm functional.  I'm ready to be used. 

I was reminded that as a soldier in the Army of God, I cant effectively serve His purpose if I'm not listening to His mission brief.  If I simply sit by and half-heartedly listen for what I think is important then I'll miss the Commander's intent.  If I don't listen to see what the Commander's intent is, I run the risk of doing well intentioned things that fail to complete the job that needed to get done. 

I don't want to be a white washed tomb.  I dont want to be like a damp sponge that looks wet on the outside but is dry and hard on the inside.  I want to be soaked and dripping with the Spirit.