What Is Your Plumb Line?
The plumb line was created 3,000 years ago through Egyptian engineering. Ancient Egyptians used a plumb line attached to the top outer part of of a tool resembling a letter E. When placed against a wall, the plumb line would indicate a vertical line. An A-frame level with a plumb line hung from the vertex was also used to find horizontal; these were used in Europe until the mid–19th century. The plumb line brought balance or helped to create a leveled horizontal.
What is your plumb line? What is it in your life that develops your priorities? Your measurement? Your consistency? When temptation and desire intersect, what is your plumb line? When two good decisions come together, how do you know what to choose?
It has been often said, “Read a person’s calendar and checkbook, then you will know the priorities of this person’s life.” Just as the compass always points north, we need a north star that pulls us in the right direction spiritually, mentally and physically.
I believe you will enjoy and and be enriched by The Plumb Line Podcast. I was interviewed by Jay Rudolph.
Some years ago, I was invited to fly to a large city in America to attend a high profile dinner. I asked the person who was hosting the dinner, “Will this dinner help in any way toward the fulfillment of the Great Commission?”
His answer was, “I do not think this dinner will help in the completion of the Great Commission. Why do you ask?”
I responded, “You are inviting me to be gone from my home for two days; to cover all my travel costs and commit all this time. I want to make sure that this moves us closer toward Christ’s command.”
Please do not misunderstand. We should enjoy a great vacation and wonderful fellowship. There is nothing wrong with going out to dinner and going to special occasions. I have learned it is a lot easier to say yes or no, when I have a plumb line. When the pastor of a church has the Great Commission and particularly the remaining unreached people groups as “the measurement stick,” it is far easier to adjust or increase missional support or to discontinue the support of some missionaries and add new missionaries, based upon on whether the giving is moving them closer to the ultimate goal. The plumb line moves us at times from emotional decisions to missional decisions.
What do you see on your horizon? What keeps you balanced and on a level missional platform? I encourage you to assess what you do, how you spend your time and money with the question, “Do these things move me closer to the finish line?” We are living in the grandest days of the Church and we must not miss what the Lord of the Harvest is calling us do.
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