Sometimes I feel like I live in a giant Sam’s Club, and I’m
just walking the aisles sampling the pizza bites and fruit snacks. I’m guided
by whim and fancy until I reach the perfect deal. No such thing exists, ladies
and gentlemen. I bring a grocery list for a reason: focus. We must keep our
eyes on our shopping list and proceed post-haste until we reach the checkout
line.
Now, that is not to say that I am focused on the eternal
checkout line, but rather I choose to acknowledge that sometimes as we pursue a
goal we have to make decisions about the short-term deal in hopes of the
long-term benefit.
As a woman, one of the biggest hurdles is the emotional
reaction to a beautiful bag of pastries or the explosive prices of a gallon of
orange juice. I could leave without the orange juice, but if I bought the
pastries, I would definitely be cheating myself.
Life is bigger than orange juice or pastries, and sometimes
we need to remember the bigger picture. Personal preference has to take a
backseat to our purpose on the planet. I’ve talked about Deuteronomy 6:5, and that
truly is the best I can come up with at this point.
Purpose takes many forms, but there has to be a distinct
orientation toward the finish line. I have often been guilty of trying to find
the one purpose that will tie my
entire life into a nice bow. Realistically, we only see a couple steps ahead at
a time. For a planner, this is a nightmare.
Good thing God is bigger than the boogieman.
Like I said before, emotional reactions can often allow us
to cheat ourselves of something better (though I must admit, pastries sound
pretty good right about now). It’s all about sacrificing the comfort of now for the benefit of the future. As a twenty-something, this is
hardly appealing, but I didn’t make the rules.
In Philippians, Paul says he has learned to be content in
any circumstance, being filled by things beyond the physical (4:11-13). Sometimes
the bravest thing to do is to give up that which you want most for the promise
of something better later.
I really like what you said about sacrificing the comfort of now for the benefit of the future and how your age ties into the struggle to attain that. We have a lot to learn from denying ourselves, delaying our gratification, and saying no. Especially as 20-somethings who want to say yes to everything and hope everything fits. I think giving up that which we want most for the promise of something better later--fasting, for example--does much to exercise our spiritual muscles, our fortitude to withstand temptation, and our ability to make good decisions for both the short and the long term. (As well as teach us to keep a stable attitude when we don't get what we want).
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post and great metaphors. Thanks for taking the time to write your thoughts out so coherently.