[The following post was largely written in the summer of 2011. It is finally being posted now because...I guess I like it better now than I did when I first wrote it.]
"This week I've noticed that I have a lot of music with bad lyrics."
"This week I've noticed that I have a lot of music with bad lyrics."
The above quote is something that was said by one of the younger leaders of a youth event I've been working over this last week. It was a simple and casual enough statement. Most people wouldn't think much of it. Oh well, your choice of music is up to you. Who's to say it's "bad".
Instead, the thought that came into my head was as follows: "And yet, when you leave at the end of the week you will forget and keep listening to it."
More than likely this is exactly what will happen. We all do it. Maybe for you it's not your music. Maybe it's your activities, your friends, your diet. We see something that we know we ought to change, but we hesitate, forget, and don't change a thing. For me it's the tv shows I watch (as little as I actually do watch).
Why do we continue in this pattern? The simple answer is that it's easier to change our standards than to change our lifestyle.
The principle of the path of least resistance prevails in our world. Electricity travels through a copper wire rather than through a piece of rubber, even if the wire takes a longer rout. Water flows downhill, between or around any obstacles, every time. If even inanimate objects follow this principle, how much more we sentient beings with our desires and preferences; with our distastes and pains. We who are capable of choosing to take the more difficult path will still find ourselves time after time taking the rout of ease and leisure as much as possible.
If ever we take action that is less than desirable it is to avoid another conceivably less comfortable path. We work so that we can live in luxury (or maybe just to have food), or to avoid a social stigma.
Every once in a while we may do something to help someone else that doesn't benefit us in any way, just so we can say we are good people. But how often do we completely change part of our life because we realize something is wrong?
I'm not preaching salvation by works. We're broken. We can't fix ourselves. There is a bigger issue at stake than our song lyrics and tv show preferences. Only Jesus can set us free from our bondage to the root issue.
What I'm saying is growth involves change. When you're seriously sick and you want to be healthy you have to change something. If you don't change something you won't get any better.
Granted, it has to be the right change. Putting a splint on your leg won't do you any good when dealing with scurvy. Tithing in church won't change the music you listen to. Volunteering at the mission won't get rid of your porn collection. Counseling youth won't get you out of your inappropriate or promiscuous relationship.
So it's that simple. See that you have a problem, and change it. Two-step program. I'll send you the bill for this consultation.
No...it's not easy. I know that. You know that. If it were easy, we would already be doing it (remember that path of least resistance thing?). It's hard, and it never ends. We are constantly struggling to grow, and discovering more and more things within us that hinder our growth. It is a life long process. It wasn't until Paul knew that he was close to his end that he dared to make the claim "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7).
Hold tight to God. Grow in him. As he points out the areas of your life that are still sick take it seriously. Sin is not like fire. Fire only has some chance of burning you when you play with it. Sin will always burn you: 100%, every time.
If you'll excuse me, now I need to go change some things.
If you'll excuse me, now I need to go change some things.
