Jump Start # 1606

Psalms 45:1 “My heart overflows with a good theme; I address my verses to the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.”

  Our verse is taken from one of the unusual Psalms. It is a song that was sung to celebrate the king’s wedding. It’s festive, poetic and complimentary to the king. In our weddings we pick the right songs that reflect the moment and expresses the feelings between the bride and groom. I’ve been to weddings where the music was country and that fit the young couple getting married. I’ve been to weddings where the music was classical and formal. Here we have words that were to be sung to the king. The passage is Messianic in nature.

I like how this verse and chapter begins. My heart overflows with a good theme. Taking this out of the setting of a wedding, think about that expression for your life. My heart overflows with a good theme. Have you ever thought that you have a theme for your life? We could express this with, “What is your life all about?” The answer to that question reflects the theme of your life.

The Psalmist had a “good theme.” His heart overflowed with his good theme. He had kind words for the king. That powerful thought ought to remind us that we need a “good theme” for our lives. We need to have our heart overflowing with a good theme.

For some, the theme would be just surviving. Just living. Just getting by. There isn’t much thought, planning, purpose or direction to their lives. They just get out of bed each day, go to work and come home. Once or twice a year they will plan a vacation, but that’s it. There is no thinking beyond the present. There is no five year or ten year plan. They are living without any theme. As some folks live paycheck to paycheck, these folks simply live day to day. No plans to improve themselves. No thought about building stronger faith. No intentions of developing a better heart and character. Simply get up, go to work and come home. The weekend serves as a break and some live for the weekend. Just make it to Friday before it all starts again on Monday.

With others, the theme seems to be pleasure and stuff. These folks are busy having fun. They work to fund their fun. They get satisfaction with a house full of the latest stuff. They like stuff. They have a lot of stuff. It seems that all their energy and plans surround having more fun and getting more stuff. This seems to sum up the theme of the rich farmer in Luke’s gospel. He was intending on tearing down barns and building larger barns so he could sit back and take it easy. His words never reflect, thank nor include God. It’s all about self. He died. His barns weren’t built. His plans died with him. His theme was stuff but he couldn’t take his stuff with him.

Service is the theme for others. They live to help others. These are the ones who are always volunteering. They are at the schools helping out. They are at the community events. They help and help and help. The theme for their lives is helping others live a better life. Busy. Sacrificing. Energetic. These are the local heroes in most communities. These folks make a difference. They are doing good. They are thinking of others. They have great hearts. They serve until they can serve no more. That is the theme of their lives.

And for a few, their theme is pleasing the Lord. They will do what they can to fulfill that. Their lives is spent engaged in spiritual activities. They are teaching Bible classes. They are busy learning the will of God. They are inviting others to services. They are building godly character in their hearts and the hearts of others. They model the life of Jesus. Their theme is the Lord.

A theme of life. Knowing your theme, knowing your purpose, will help navigate you to the right choices in life. Without a purpose, we tend to drift along. Without a purpose we tend to follow the crowds. Without a purpose we just never get much done. This is why colleges are set up with specific classes that will lead a student to graduating with a certain degree. Without these guidelines, a student may spend four years taking this class and that class but never accomplishing what is required to get a degree. There is a defined plan. There is a purpose. There is a theme.

That concept ought to be an model for a congregation to consider when determining what Bible classes to teach. So often, we march through the books of the Bible, one after the other,  as they are laid out in our Bibles. We study Matthew and then on to Mark. After Mark, it’s Luke. Why? Because that’s the order they are in our Bibles. We continue onward until we get to the end and then we turn around and repeat the same thing again. Is this the best method? Is this taking people on a specific path that may help them gain a specific understanding of Bible basics? Themes. Purpose. Plans. Goals.

High school grads are asked, “what do you want to do with your life?” That’s a tough question for an eighteen year old. Most don’t know. Most would like to spend the next hour playing a video game. Some never do find the theme in their life. Some float from idea to idea, hobby to hobby, relationship to relationship, never really latching on to anything. They don’t know.

It seems Joshua knew. He said, “…as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” That defined his life. That shaped his choices. That molded him into who he was. He had a purpose. He had a plan. He had a theme for his life.

Many businesses, corporations, organizations and even churches have mission statements which defines their purpose and what they are about. Hospitals will have a theme about taking care of patients the best that they can. Schools with have a theme about helping children get the best education. What if you were to write out a mission statement for your life? The theme of my life is: ______________________________. Doing that would help you get your priorities in order. It would help you to see what you are supposed to do. It would help you to see what God expects of you.

The theme of my life is: ____________________________________________________

Give it a try. Think about it. Jot it down.

Themes. We need them. They define who we are.

My heart overflowed with a good theme.

Roger