I have recently been reminded that we truly are creatures of habit. We like that which is familiar and that which causes less friction and less problems. I noticed that every morning it's the same routine, day after day. Lay in bed till alarm clock goes off, turn it off, roll over and pray for my family and the day ahead, get out of bed get that first cup of coffee with my bible in hand, then the news on to see what happened in the world, shave, gym, back home, shower, dress, eat, off to work. Every day the same thing, over and over and over and over and ... I am sure you get the picture. Well, this morning something or someone said - DO IT DIFFERENT! I DID and I LOVED IT!
This morning I got out of bed, didn't drink coffee, went for a jog instead of hitting the gym. Wow! It was a little strange, but it was good! As a matter of fact it was real good! I enjoyed my jog and I got to see the beauty of the fog as it hovered just above the pond. I got to listen to the unusual hum of the 'red-eyed locusts' as they do whatever it is they do. As I returned refreshed, I continued to do things a little different. Such as ... instead of putting my right sock on, then my left, then my right shoe, then my left. I started with my left foot. To be honest, that really was strange for me, but I did it!
OK, I can hear it now ... WHY? WHY would I do that? Why even discuss it? Well, it hit me early this morning in my quiet time before I even got out of bed- so many of us go through life just going through the motions, doing the same thing every day, over and over and over again, never deviating a bit. Then I was hit again much harder! How many believers get stuck in religion, church life, and just a big ole religious rut all because they refuse to change. Sure, I understand that change is not fun for most (I actually like change most of the time!), it's not easy (thinking back to my socks and shoes), and it's definitely not popular (especially in traditional churches). One thing for sure is that while changes are not permanent, change is (Geddy Lee of Rush). Even so, because so many refuse to embrace change and take hold of something new, believers and churches all over America have become stagnant in their faith and are dying in the deathbed of routine. It's a sad reality.
Certainly Scripture tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever and that God does not change. Thank God that He doesn't change, but that does not in any way imply that He does not do 'new' things do things differently than before. Neither does it imply that we reject change. When was the last time you saw a lamb sacrificed or blood wiped on the doorposts? You haven't. Why??? Because God chose to do a NEW thing! He chose to do something different! Can you see Jesus bringing it up in a deacons meeting or a church business meeting to get their approval of feeding the 5000 or healing blind man? I can just hear it? "Are we sure this is what we want to do? I mean we have never done this before." or "Is it going to cost anything?" Or how about a favorite of mine; "What do the by-laws say?" AAAAGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! You may laugh, but this happens all the time because churches are filled with people who refuse to do something new or different and who refuse to even consider change.
Do you get the picture? So many believers get plugged into a church and get caught up in a religious routine and DIE! That's right! They DIE!!! Do we even realize that becoming a member of a church is not the goal? How many believers miss God all because they refuse to embrace newness and change? How many churches are dead and just filling up an acre of land all because they refuse to break out of the religious junk called tradition? More serious than that. How many lost people will never embrace Jesus because His children refuse to step out of their cozy comfort zone of routine church life and tell them about Him? This happens all the time all because we are creatures of habit and we buy in to the lie of settling into routine church life that never embraces real life. I have wondered about those who refuse to change when it plainly states in Scripture that the sanctification process is God 'changing' us into the likeness of His Son. Hmmm...! While change is not always good (I defer to our current political state), God calls us to be people who embrace newness of life that comes from intimacy with Him and that newness obviously requires change.
Start today, try something new even if it is to just get out of a cozy routine of putting your right sock on first. God is the same, yet He is always calling us to change and embrace newness of life. O yea!
No comments:
Post a Comment