What to do on a Long Commute

On Tuesday I had my slowest commute to work ever.  It took me 2 hours to get to work...something that normally takes around 20 minutes.   So...what does one do with all this time that can seem "wasted"?  Do you pray, listen to the radio, call someone (at 7:00 in the morning mind you)?  I happened to have my ipod shuffle with me.  However, I do not have music on it.  Instead, I have a few sermons on it from Andy Stanley.  I was able to fit in 2 full sermons on my ride to work.  Here are some of the thoughts/concepts from the sermon.

The current 6 part series I am listening to is "The Best Question Ever".  The "best question" is as follows: In light of our past experiences, current circumstances, and future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing for us to do.  

Ephesians 5:15-17

15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

We tend to like to push the limits in our lives in regards to sin/decisions. How far can we go without actually sinning?  At what point is eating too much gluttony?  How much of the rules can I bend without breaking the law?  Can I drive 65 in a 60 since I most likely won't get in trouble? 

The question has 3 main parts to it: Past Experiences, Current Circumstances, Future Hopes and Dreams.

Past Experiences - It is not about what others may be doing or have done, it is purely about what is wise for us based on past experiences.  If you had trouble with alcohol in the past, it may not be wise to bring much alcohol into the house.  Your past is unique and thus certain things will affect you differently from others.

Current Circumstances - Where are you financially, emotionally, relationally?  If you are in a tough spot in the current circumstance, then asking the "Is it wise" question will help you determine what decision to make.  Again, this is based on you, not on others.

Future Hopes and Dreams - Where do you want your marriage to be in the future?  Where do you want to be financially in the future? Where do you want to be in your relationships in the future?  Based on your hopes and dreams, is it wise to do this?  Should I be making this investment when it doesn't really fit with what my hopes and dreams are for the future?  

We often know what the wise thing to do is...but we often don't follow that.  We are often nieve and we try to justify our decisions.  There aren't necessarily verses in the Bible specifically about some of these items, but that doesn't mean there aren't wise decisions we can make.  Asking ourselves what the "wise" thing to do is often uncomfortable as it will challenge us as what we may be doing or wanting to do is not necessarily the wise thing to do.

Layoffs are not fun

Our company just let go of about 25 people.  Three of those people were from the IT department.  Days like this are not very enjoyable.  On the one hand, I am very thankful right now that I still have a job.  On the other hand, I feel for the employees that got let go.  Please pray for those individuals who got let go that they would land on their feet and be able to find a new job relatively quickly.