Embracing the Moment When Apathy and Analogy Collide.

I didn't very much feel like writing this week. Wait, no, I'm lying to you, which is bad. I felt like writing. The issue more fell into the realm of I didn't feel very inspired to write. Usually, I have a pretty clear idea as to what it is that I need to say. Half the time, the Holy Spirit takes over and I end up looking back over my post thinking to myself "I don't really remember writing most of this, but it's good so I guess let's keep it." This week, however, when thinking on what my topic would be, I got a great big pile of "meh" dumped in my brain. I found myself with a distinct lack of desire to engage.

This lack of desire eventually got me thinking, however. How often do we let the lack of inspiration prevent us from doing something? I don't think I can count the number of times I've let this happen, with examples found in a myriad of different situations. From playing Rock Band because I just didn't feel like doing that reading, to failing in sin because I just didn't feel like resisting a temptation, I find it's a fairly common experience to let a lack of inspiration be my driver in life. A driver who, though very friendly (and quite dapper in his neat little hat), is on a prolonged course for an epic crash into a brick wall.

Wait, what!? I don't see any brick wall, this guy is crazy, let's go ride bikes.

Now you stop right there ambiguous other voice which sometimes appears out of nowhere! Think about it, of course we can't see that brick wall. In the midst of out apathy, we don't really care enough to look around, and in my experience it tends to be pretty hard to find things which we aren't truly looking for.

So just where is this wall? It's in a different place for each of us. For some, it's right around the corner. It's that paper you've forgotten about, that presentation you haven't prepared for. For others, it's way down the road. The wall isn't even in the metaphorical distance right now. These farther away walls tend to be of greater importance than the closer ones, yet we still don't pay attention to them. I think we get an idea in our heads that somewhere down the line, we'll clean up our act and everything will be better. The wall will just somehow magically disappear.

To be honest, that's crap.

We need to think about the kind of precedent we are building here in the present. I think it is pretty silly of me to think that I can just bum around now and somehow be able to be all that I need to be in the heat of the moment. If I don't feel like doing my assigned work now, what happens when I have people depending on me and I get fired because I didn't feel like doing my job? If I don't feel like managing my money now, what happens if I get a family some day and I don't feel like saving for my kid's future. If I don't feel like sacrificing my time and freedom now for the sake of someone else , what happens when I don't feel like sacrificing my freedom by being faithful to my wife? I know this might sound a little over the top and maybe a bit judgmental, but please know that anything I post here is first a conviction of myself before it is a comment on anyone else's life. I honestly think this is something that is extremely dangerous if left ignored.

All this to say, we have to recognize that we are building our futures right now, in this moment. We can't expect to cave to apathy and lethargy now and somehow be able to not do it in the future. In light of all this, I invite you to join me in telling the apathy driving our life to pull over, right this very instant (do it in an English accent if you like, it makes it more fun). Next, tell him to get out of the car. Finally, get out, walk up to him, punch him in the face, and then walk away.

Once we've been able to deny that lethargy, I believe we're going to find another person trying to influence us. I haven't lied to you all before, and I won't start now, I honestly believe that person is God. He's been telling us to do stuff all along, we've just been too wrapped up in our "meh" to pay attention. Sometimes, He will tell us to do things that we really don't want to do. This, however, is where trust comes in. It's not easy, but there are an endless number of examples of people who have given their lives over to God and seen amazing things happen. Go check some of them out. He's been doing it right for a long time. I encourage you to let Him give a try with your life.

With His love and hopefully His grace,

Taylor