Up the road is a new building project. It’s hard to see quite what the workers are constructing behind the scaffolding and netting, but buildings are most definitely going up. The scaffolds are temporary. They’re in place to provide access for the workers. But they’re not the point of the project.
Today I’ve been thinking about how, in life, we have our ‘main purpose(s)’, and we have ‘scaffolding.’ Scaffolding is necessary if the main purposes are to be achieved, but scaffolding supports the main project and does not become the main project. When projects are complete, scaffolding is removed and the finished product is put to good use. Nobody misses the scaffolding. It was only ever a means to an end.
Perhaps this dichotomy (building versus scaffolding) is overly simplistic. However, the metaphor has been helpful to me these past few days since hearing, by chance, a comment in a radio music programme about musical scaffolding. Writing this blog post consolidates some of my flyaway thoughts. If anyone else reading along benefits, that’s nice.
Life’s purpose(s)
What is our purpose in life? In the words of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, ‘Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.”
Within this broad purpose, however, Christians are given different gifts and called to different tasks in the church, at least. (See, for example, Romans 12:4-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 28, Ephesians 4:11-13 and 1 Peter 4:10-11.)
Now, of course we don’t ONLY do activities to which we are called. We need to manage the necessities of life, be that physical, spiritual and/or emotional. Even the greatest minds and most prolific of writers need to eat, sleep, exercise and engage in meaningful relationships. I suspect, however, that the most productive people have staff to take care of life’s mundane details.
At the same time, if we lose focus of our purposes and unhelpfully emphasise the scaffolding of life—that which supports the main structure—then we run into problems.
Scaffolding is necessary, but secondary
Scaffolds are not in and of themselves the main object. They are merely temporary structures that exist for a time for the sake of the main object.
Metaphorical scaffolds in life also include the myriad of tasks necessary to allow us to focus on our main purposes. We need to commit time to create and maintain environments in which we can flourish. Vacuuming the floor. Doing my tax return (how is it already October?!). Achieving an adequate daily step count. Preparing healthy meals. Correspondence. Community involvement. All these things are necessary and good, but without some degree of intentionality, they can take on a life of their own.
Metaphorical scaffolds in life also include self-care. For some friends, self-care may look like manicures. For me, it often entails sitting in nature with my phone-camera and clip-on macro-lens in hand. The purpose of such care is to help us thrive in the area to which we are called, and not an end in itself.
Differently shaped buildings require differently shaped scaffolds
While we have similar needs, the specific metaphorical scaffolds in our lives will vary according to our different purposes in life, as well as according to our different situations and personalities.
Focusing on health and fitness, for example, is important, but for me, my main focus in my life should not be health and fitness. … it is only a means to an end. This is not the case for everyone, however. Elite athletes, for example, need to stay in top shape. For some, improving the health and well-being of people around them is a calling. I have often thought that it is appropriate for Christians to contribute to the physical and spiritual health of people in our communities through participation in, or establishing, health and fitness clubs. But that’s not my focus.
Be intentional
As a result of ruminating on the differences between metaphorical scaffolds and main projects in life, I have become more-than-usually determined to keep my focus on the important tasks and not over-emphasise the supporting structures.
For years, it has been my habit to make a task list for pretty much every day except Sunday (a rest day). This, in itself, is a helpful part of scaffolding for my life. Skimming through pages in this year’s diary, I see a plethora of scaffolding, but too often, the ‘main purpose’ of my life has been shortchanged. Today I repent of such un-intentionality. Tomorrow, I’ll likely need to repent of it too. And the next day……
May I prioritise cross-cultural ministry, research and writing even while I attend to the necessary, and often pleasurable, scaffolding that makes these priorities possible.
