(this post is not about Mexico)

The easiest metaphor for Christianity for my mind is running. And i often find my running life parallels my spiritual life.
Lately in running i've had the wrong mindset: my goal in running used to be running; i ran for the sake of the run. Now i find i run only to stay in shape... or worse, to avoid getting into noticeably bad shape (which eventually leads to not running). Running just isn't convenient, you know. It requires time and effort and to do it well; requires tough decisions in other areas like sleep habits and diet. Rather than being victorious in my running, i slipped into a survival mode. (Do you see where i'm going to take this? ha)

I've taken this same attitude towards my life in Christ. Rather than seeking intimacy with God in order to have intimacy with God, i began to seek intimacy with God in order for my (ha) spiritual life to maintain effectiveness in ministry...or worse, to avoid messing up while in leadership (or some such prideful thing). This too eventually leads to not seeking God. It just isn't convenient, you know. It requires time and effort and worse, humility and honesty and such things. Not to mention it requires things from other areas of your life... like...all of it. Rather than being "more than a conqueror" in my life in Christ, i slipped into a survival mode.

So... what then? This isn't a patch-on-where-you-need-it thing. This is a lifestyle choice. We aren't called to lives of comfort; we're called to live lives that glorify God. This doesn't mean that being uncomfortable translates to holiness. It means that we are aliens and strangers in this world. It means that this is not our home. It means that some day we will be with Christ and have eternity to be in peace. The time we have on this earth is the time we have to let people know about him. How are we going to spend it? My mistake has been viewing the life that most people lead as the standard (i feel like i measure up well to it). Average is not normative. We have been called to more; to live like few live, to pray like few pray, to love like few love, to die like few die... to be the light in the world.

We are the ones who stand out as different. How? Decisions...especially little decisions (will i read today? pray? say that thing? not say this thing? let my mind stay there? pretend i don't see that person's spiritual or physical need?). Our decisions define us, one small change at a time until we become something we never imagined possible (one way or the other). Choose Christ.