Frivolous

​My West Point classmate Larry Turrentine recently shared this wisdom with our weekly prayer team:
A week ago, I passed through Detroit's Metro Airport after attending a funeral and a repass. As I walked through, I spotted a curious name for a shop. It was called "Frivolous," with a subtitle "wonderfully necessary." Clearly, it was designed for those with extra time and extra money. It fit the former. So, with my extra time, I went in and looked around. 
Nothing really caught my interest, and moments later, I was gone. It occurred to me that my experience was a microcosm of a Christian Pilgrim's progress through life. Why do many of us spend significant amounts of time in the shops of our lives called "Frivolous"? If it is true that only what we do for Christ will last, why do trivial pursuits (frivolity) fritter away our lives? If the airport were on fire, would we patronize the shop called "Frivolous"?
We are the ecclesia, the called-out ones, and our call is to be Ambassadors to a lost and dying world, to a world on fire. Our call is purity and holiness. But as long as the shop called "Frivolous" exists, so must our mandate to pray. ​

Meditation
1 Timothy 6:9--But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction.
 
To pursue what is frivolous is to embrace foolish desires, detours from the path of wisdom.  Perhaps this is what Solomon was thinking when he wrote, “Foolishness brings joy to one without sense, but a man with understanding walks a straight path” (Proverbs 15:21). Larry’s appeal reminded me of a time decades ago when I would too often stay up well past midnight playing backgammon with other players on the internet. It was a waste of my time and energy that robbed me of sleep and tired me the next day. It was frivolous.  If I had put boundaries in place (played only a few games), that would have been different; I realized that it was best to stay away from that temptation altogether.   

French actress and film producer Catherine Deneuve once said, “I am frivolous. Then I feel guilty.” Paul challenged the Philippians with these words, “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8). Dwell well, choose well!  Something to think about . . . in reveration. 
           
Inspiration
“The world’s frivolities have robbed me of the time that I was given for reflecting upon God.”—Michelangelo
 
©2024 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  To receive these devotionals, go to www.firstcause.org and click the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed, subject to the inclusion of this copyright notice.     
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)