There is something about being here in this place that is beautiful. it is a place that allows us to really seek God in every moment. It is a place that allows us to choose everyday. We can choose to sit around and do nothing. We can choose to watch movies and browse Facebook all day. We can choose to sleep, play basketball or cards, journal, take a walk, read our bible or any other book. We can choose to wake up early or sleep in. We can choose how we start our day. We can choose to humble ourselves or be prideful.
The World Race is a place of choices and the freedom to make your choices how you want. It is a training ground for making the choices that push you farther along or leave you sitting where you are. I haven’t seen a time where someone has made a choice that led them to take a step back in their walk with God or friendships or anything in life. But everyday we are faced with the choice to step up and dig in or sit back and let complacency rule our lives. And these choices are not anything new. We have had to make these choices our entire lives. But the setting that we are in really changes our perspective and forces us to really examine the choices we make.
Throughout the race I have learned a lot and been able to preach and teach others about what I have learned. Whether through bible study, preaching, or just normal conversation I love to share the truths that God has taught me. But being able to preach and teach is much different from practicing the knowledge that you have. I’ve come to know this as a movement from the head to the heart.
In my generation and the generation to follow there is a culturally developed notion that when you want something, like you desire to change or be better at something, that it will naturally develop. Especially when it comes to the spiritual and mental world, we believe this lie that as long as I want to change then it will happen. We believe this lie that we don’t have to work for things that seem like they should naturally develop on their own with only our desire for them to change.
Something that I have been teaching and praying over for a long time is giving God the glory in everything that we do. I’ve preached this and made it a part of my prayers for a long time now, but I have never really actively sought to make “giving God glory” a part of my decisions. Only now have I found myself actively thinking about what will give God glory. In a decision I have to make this week I have thought about many different aspects, weighing the pros and cons, and seeking counsel, but while seeking for the best decision a thought arose in my mind about what will best glorify God. From the choices I have, what will give God the glory?
I was talking to my friend Joe and while I was explaining my heart and intentions he asked me what my biggest concern was and the first thing to come to mind was that question. Which decision is going to bring glory to God? Out of everything I could do with all the benefits in either direction, what benefits and trials are going to let God get all the glory? I think I am able to answer that question and I know the decision that is to be made. I believe this choice has a lot to do with faith and patience because it will be growing me to be more like Christ and relying on my Father, instead of trying to indulge in my impulses and taking charge by myself.
Everyday life choices are big. Whether we choose to glorify God or just live for ourselves is what will define who we are. Every choice that we make is going to transform our mind. We may not see the results immediately but the mind will transform to the daily choices that we make. If we choose to teach others about love and choose to make love a part of our daily prayer life, then love is going to start transforming our mind and it will start to consume us. These things we choose to do everyday are the things that will impact our lives forever. If I make the daily choice to be complacent and simply believe and not act then I will stay in that place and never change, no matter how much I desire to change. But if I choose to go out and serve at a food pantry, talk to the homeless guy, volunteer at an orphanage or just greet people at the door to my church. Those active choices for becoming more than what is expected will begin to change you life more and more to the way you desire. If I want to be more like Jesus, then I need to learn how he lived and start making the choices to live that same way. Our lives are full of choices and our lives will forever be changed or static by the choices we make.
