All Weekly Sharpening Posts

November 9, 2023

Living Lean (Part 2)

Jeremy Renner, the actor who played Hawkeye in the Avenger movies, had a wake-up call when he almost died in an accident last January.  In a recent interview with CNN, he said:

“I just feel very blessed and very lucky to be upright and walk around and to live life,” Renner said. “I’m very, very clear. My life is really lean, if that makes sense. There’s no fat in my life anymore. I don’t have time for that. So, there’s something really beautiful about having that superpower.”

Renner wants to live focused and lean, and we should, too.

So what does that look like?

The author of Hebrews tells us to “fix our thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest” (Hebrews 3:1).

The Apostle Paul tells us where to look in 2 Corinthians 4:18, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

To live focused and lean, we must fix our THOUGHTS on Jesus and our EYES on Jesus.

Surprise, it’s all about Jesus.

Thinking about Jesus and seeking Jesus throughout the day will profoundly influence how you spend your time.  Doing these things will radically change your priorities.

We should “look carefully at how we walk (live), not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16).

Want to live leaner and wisely?  Cut the fat. The fat slows us down and weighs us down.  Not only that, but it also distracts us from what Jesus has for us.

What’s the fat in your life?  What kind of unhealthy habits do you need to cut?  What’s your relationship with porn and alcohol?

Do you spend too much time on social media?  Do you obsessively watch the news?  Do you spend time with people who drag you down?  Do you seek distraction and make entertainment a priority?  These are the usual subjects, but maybe it’s different for you.

Ask the Lord to help you see with greater clarity the things in your life that are getting in the way of you seeking and thinking about Jesus.

It helps to start your day with Jesus.  The Jesus Calling devotional reading on October 29th encourages us to “linger in Jesus’ presence a while and reign in our impulses to plunge into the day’s activities.  Beginning our day alone with Jesus is essential preparation for success.”

And as the day goes on, we must walk, delight, seek, and rest in him.

Men, I encourage you to ask Jesus to set the pace for your day.  Let him determine your steps.

The Jesus way is the lean way to live.

Let’s not wait for a near-death experience to rock our world before we learn this truth.