We’re All Going Somewhere
We are so quick to forget. Without focused attention we fall away from the things we ought to be oriented towards. Distractions and feelings are constantly fighting for our attention. I give into these way too easily. Why is doing the better thing so hard?
Paul’s words in Romans 7, “I know what to do and I don’t do it,” hit me with an uncanny accuracy. Self-control is a lifelong pursuit. The moment we stop the practice is the moment it leaves. There is hope here though. We get to decide what we do. It’s up to us to choose which way we go.
But why is it so hard? If I actually know what’s good for me then why would I ever do what’s not good for me? Maybe it’s a little more complicated than that. I may not actually believe that the good thing is in fact good for me. Maybe there’s a part of me that thinks that the bad thing is better.
At the end of the day, our decisions are an overflow of our beliefs. What we believe matters a lot more than just checking a box on a scantron survey. What we believe functions like a river. It flows from our inner most being out through our actions. It’s for this reason that you judge a tree by its fruit. What a tree produces shows what’s inside. It’s the same for us. We produce what’s inside of us – and we all produce something.
Words can be deceiving. We can use them to cover up what we truly think and believe for a little while, but if you watch long enough, you’ll begin to see what’s in that person. Here’s the rub, we never make unthoughtful decisions. There may be times when we don’t think much about a particular decision, but there is a reason for everything that you do – whether you know it or not.
This is where habits are imperative. If you’re trying to get to the east coast of the Unites States from the west coast, you need to make a series of decisions in order to complete the journey. This journey takes time, planning, and you’re going to have to continue to choose to go there.
At any point in the journey, you could decide to stop and turn around. Even though at one point you were dreaming of the Florida beaches and warm weather, over time that dream lost its muster and your desire to discipline yourself and spend the necessary time and energy to get to the squeaky white sand on the coast faded – so you never arrive.
Our maturity is similar. We must stay fixed on where we are trying to go in order for it to become a reality. To say it another way, we’re always on the move somewhere. We need to pay the utmost attention to make sure we are aware of where we’re heading. It can be a dangerous place to find ourselves on a road we don’t know we’re on.
God’s desire is to grow us up and walk us into deeper sanctification. So, let me ask you, what road are you traveling? Where are trying to get to? Search your heart to find the answer to these questions. Then, refine your focus in the areas you need to, get rid of the areas that are unhealthy, and add destinations that are going to lead you well.
