Going the Distance

It seems that today it’s quite fashionable to “do whatever feels good” and “live for the moment.”  Wouldn’t be a pleasant change of pace if people were to do what is right, and instead of living for the moment, how about “seizing” the moment?  (Big difference in semantics there.)

In a society where we have defined “it’s all about me,” our focus has certainly shifted from putting others first to not so much.  It seems now that many take the approach, “I’ll put you first as long as it doesn’t inconvenience me too much…say, a second or two at the most.”

This shouldn’t continue to surprise us in a world where we have instant everything, and immediate gratification is the norm.  Common manners are about as dispensable as marriages.  Social graces are scoffed at.  If there’s a problem with a newly purchased item?  Throw it away and buy another.

I wonder if the apostle Paul ever contemplated these things during his ministry?  If he ever got fed up, wanted to give up, or maybe just throw up when considering the world he was living in?  Do you think he ever thought that going the distance was too difficult, too time-consuming, too un-gratifying?  Or do you think he kept his eyes on the prize, his ultimate goal, which was to win souls for Christ?  If you’re a believer, then you probably know the answers to those questions.

We’d often like to think that issues today are somehow different from the ones that plagued previous generations.  The reality is they’re not really.  They may be dressed up in different attire and decorated in brighter packaging, but many of yesteryear’s problems still exist–just in different formats.  Though, I would agree, at times today we see a more prevalent “in-your-face” kind of attitude than perhaps our parents and grandparents did in their generation.  It’s just because that’s our identifying point.  If you read the Bible, you know our behavior isn’t any worse than what has occurred since the beginning of time.

In my glass house that I sometimes pretend to live in, I envision the world a better place where beauty, hope, and goodness dwell.  I retreat to my abode when the harsh realities of life sometimes come calling.  I re-group and re-strategize, concentrating on the fact that one day, everything will be new and different and perfect.

Until then, I resolve to forge ahead, to go the distance to “win the race…”

This is why I eat, live, and breathe writing.  It’s what God has given me to do until I finish the race.

******

A question for you to ponder…How are YOU going the distance?