Growth or destruction?

You know there is some truth to the sentiment that ignorance is bliss. When we don’t know that we are fat, lazy, and close to death, we are perfectly content to sit on our couch and eat donuts and watch TV all day. When we don’t realize that we are hopelessly lost, destitute, and condemned to death, we are happy – nay, eager – to continue with our self destructive behavior.

There are times that I wish it had not been made known to me all that is truly required from Christ’s disciples. I could be lazily drifting in whatever state I wanted. What a heresy… I don’t mean it. I would rather bind myself to the freedom of the cross. It’s just the pains of training my self for righteousness. You know, it’s awful funny that we think that conforming to the image of Christ should be easy. Athletes know that if they want to be good that it takes long hard hours of vigorous training. The military understands the need to practice so that its soldiers are ready for battle. But I don’t want to write my school assignments on Saturday because it requires me to work hard before anything is “due.” I don’t want to fast because I get hungry and why should I have to not eat something?

I’ll be very glad to be done with conviction and even more enthusiastic about entering into perfection. I want to do well with the here and now, but I also want to be with Jesus. Heck! If I could be with Jesus right now, even without reaching perfection, I would. But this is when my true nature comes out I suppose. This is when I am given the opportunity to grow in perseverance and, in turn, character. One more chance for Christ to cut away at the filth I’ve tried to clothe myself with.