Nerve Center

 

“From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: that we are here for the sake of each other – above all for those upon whose smile and well-being our own happiness depends, and also for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day I realize how much my own outer and inner life is built upon the labors of my fellow men, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received.” ~ Albert Einstein

This week I am reading ‘Ordering Your Private World’ by Gordon MacDonald (2003). In the first chapter of the book, he has a paragraph that reads: “But there is this private world in every one of us. A world that may be as infinite in size as we perceive our public worlds to be. But often the private world – like the depths of the ocean – remains unexplored, full of surprises, ambushes, emotions, and dreams.”

The Private World he’s talking about is our nerve center. Our core. The headquarters of all that we are – our dreams, aspirations, goals, beliefs, assumptions, fears, biases, your YOU. The book is about why it is important to look after YOU, something that most people ignore in pursuit of ordering their external worlds.

The majority of people you meet are preoccupied with the external glitter – social media presence, ownership of flashy toys, physical fitness and glamour, status symbols and titles – all things that the world values and applauds, but all transient, fickle, and of no eternal value. Early they rise, late they retire yet all they seek is fading away and of no lasting importance. Job, at the loss of all his earthly goods and children exclaimed, “I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing.” ~ Job 1:21a, GNT

The importance of pursuing an ordered inner life was brought powerfully to the fore during the funeral service of a man I had known for about 20 years. As I sat through the tributes, spouse, children, relatives, colleagues, and friends – everyone who knew the man attested to his selfless love, diligence, integrity, and concern for man and nature. It was evident from the stories that the departed was a man of his word, and he treated all people with the same set of principles. The most touching statement from all the tributes came from his wife who said, “I do not doubt that I was loved and loved fully.” The man left a legacy that will outlive any earthly possessions he left behind.

The inner life. Where you choose your values and they shape you. Where you craft a philosophy of your life and live it day by day. Where you experience your center and find your rest and restoration after every abrasive encounter with the public world. Where the outcome of your battles is determined before they are fought. Your pillar of strength, your lighthouse, your stronghold. Are you deliberately taking time to order your inner life? On what do you base your inner life?

An outer life without a well-grounded inner life soon crumbles and crumbles spectacularly. Beware of living such a life.

In closing the book, MacDonald ends thus: “Today our public worlds demand a few good people who can walk among the masses and negotiate with the powerful, but never change, never capitulate, never compromise. And how will they manage that? By pursuing the spinning wheel experience: the retreat into the silent center where time can be ordered by priorities, where the mind can be tuned to discover God’s creation, the spirit can be sharpened, and where there is the quietness of Sabbath rest. This is the private world, and when given proper attention, it comes to order.”

“What goes on inside isn’t ever the same as what goes on outside.” ~ Margaret Laurence

“So above all, guard the affections of your heart, for they affect all that you are. Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being, for from there flows the wellspring of life.” ~ Proverbs 4:23, TPT