The Training Ground
π»ππ π¬ππππ πππππππ ππ πππ "πππππππ " ππ ππ ππππ!
Welcome to this weekβs Moments with Maclaren.
Special Note: This weekβs Deep Dive is for all subscribers. Donβt miss it! Previous Deep Dives have been described as βimpressiveβ, βamazingβ, and βworld-class.β I hope many of you will take advantage of this insightful resource.
Now, The Training Ground
Like an eagle that stirs up its nest,
That hovers over its young,
He spread His wings and caught them,
He carried them on His pinions.
βDeuteronomy 32:11
In my lifeβs journey I have taken some detours from my true life callings. One time, I trained to be a real estate agent. I got a real estate license. I gathered a few listings. I even sold a house or two. Thatβs the end of that story. I also trained to be an insurance agent once. I also obtained a license for that. I sold some insurance. None of this was exciting for me and neither are the stories that go with it. The training was good though. I learned some things. Most of the time training for anything is what you make of it.
At one point in the sermon Maclaren preaches on the text above, he says, βIt is all meant as training.β In the second point of this sermon, he says, βHere we have an illuminating thought of the meaning of life.β So, he asks, βWhat is it all for?β And referring to the eagle, he answers, βTo teach us to fly.β He elaborates on this by asking, βWhat are we here for?β And he answers, βTo make character.β Then he gets to the part that pulls me up short:
βIf we could only carry that clear conviction with us day by day into the little things of life, what different things these, which we call the monotonous trifles of our daily duties, would become! The things may be small and unimportant, but the way in which we do them is not unimportant.β βAlexander Maclaren
Then just a little later in the message, Maclaren slams it home:
βCharacter may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones.β βAlexander Maclaren
Iβm calling that a βGotchaβ moment.
Hereβs my quick take. God is the Eagle. The nest is this globe where we liveβyour little world and mine. Godβs stirring is life itselfβwhatever it brings our way. And it is ALL meant as training. Not just skills for getting by, not just coping with hard thingsβbut the formation of character. And hereβs what stops me cold: that character formation doesnβt clock out when this life ends. Weβre being shaped for something beyond this world, too. The small moments arenβt small at all.
So, now I have to ask myselfβyou should ask yourself (Sorry, I donβt like to βshouldβ on people, but . . .), we have to ask ourselves: What am I doing with the small moments?
You know the ones I mean. The ones with the grandchildren. The ones with the busy waitress. The irritating moments with the people you love the most. And . . . need I go on?
So. Just two things to keep top of mind this week:
Keep thinking: βCharacter may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones.β
Keep asking: What am I doing with the small moments?
That question is the training.
God bless. Have a great week!
Chuck
THE DEEP DIVE
Join this engaging conversation as the hosts explore the "raw mechanics" of character formation and the psychology of why we often treat our routines like an obstacle course to be finished rather than a classroom for growth,. This episode dives deep into the "gotcha moment" of Alexander Maclarenβs teaching: the reality that character is merely manifested in great moments but is painstakingly made in the "monotonous trifles" of life.
If youβd like to stay a little longer with todayβs passage, what follows is prepared especially for paid subscribersβadditional reflections, Scripture connections, and questions meant to help you listen more closely for Godβs voice. Your support makes this ministry possible, and Iβm grateful.