You don't run from your future, you run towards it.
Sometimes facing the inevitability of our future is scary; so we avoid it by holding on to our present - anything that may provide comfort. We fight change, or more importantly we make decisions to avoid our destined outcome. We seek solace in the things we feel we can control. All of that present comfort prolongs the joy that lies waiting for us.
I was reminded lately how we continually prioritize people and things in our life ahead of our creator. Personally I find myself reaching for God, but I'm stuck in the realm of worldly perspective. I continue to prioritize relationships and activity above my creator. And when those things end in a catastrophic let down - I"m drawn back to Him because I know that He will never fail me. It makes me ask the question if our faith (or at least my faith personally) has become some type of safety net. God will continue to draw us towards Him. What is unfortunate is that more often than not it takes pain to get our attention. That thought alone creates within me a deep sadness. In this world so dominated by status - how can we continually remind ourselves that God's grace alone is enough?
In the book Radical by David Platt, he points out early in the book that we are molding Jesus into our image... Platt describes this as:
"A nice, middle-class, American Jesus. A Jesus who doesn't mind materialism, and who would never call us to give away everything we have. A Jesus who would not expect us to forsake our closest relationships so that he receives all our affection. A Jesus who is fine with nominal devotion that does not infringe on our comforts, because, after all, he loves us just the way we are. A Jesus who wants us to be balanced, who wants us to avoid dangerous extremes, and who, for that matter, wants us to avoid danger al together. A Jesus who brings us comfort and prosperity as we live out our Christian spin on the American Dream."
I don't point this out because I'm looking at others, but that I'm looking in the mirror. I'm not pointing fingers, but to stand up in recognition of my actions... not just my beliefs. I've always said that becoming a christian was the single most difficult decision I could have made. The reward makes it easy, but it is the commitment that is required that makes it so challenging. Which is exactly why fighting the present is so damn hard. We are creatures of comfort. We seek solace in areas of this world that create distance from our creator. And we fight like hell to remain in a state best described as average. We aren't unhappy enough with our life to change, but we're not truly filled with joy... so we fight and struggle and claw to get ahead - which seems to look a lot like keeping up with our neighbor.
God is holding something wonderful, more than can be imagined. Running from that future is not the solution. If we are to find true joy, it is going to take more than just being comfortable and hiding in the present. It is going to require that we run, no, we need to chase our future down, because what God has prepared for us lies waiting. And what lies waiting cannot be measured in our own worldly terms!
