The Pendulum
He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will. Ephesians 1:5
Going through life is like riding a pendulum. If we swing more to the world, we’re further from God. If we swing toward God (by making a conscious decisions to follow Him), then we distance ourselves from the world.
Sometimes our friends and coworkers want to swing the pendulum for us. When that happens, it’s up to us to resist. If you’re away on a business trip, and a couple of the guys from the office say they’re going to a strip club, what are you going to say? How are you going to handle the pressure to blend in?
Riding the pendulum toward the Baby Dolls Club is going the world’s way. But insisting that you’re going to stay at the hotel and ride a stationary bike in the fitness room is steering the pendulum God’s way. This is practical commitment in action.
Watching one of those pay-per-view soft-core adult movies in your hotel room is swinging the pendulum the world’s way. Calling the front desk as soon as you reach your room and asking them to block out the skin flicks is swinging the pendulum God’s way.
In other words, loving God means resisting the world moment by moment, it’s putting forceful, compelling feelings aside in order to remain obedient. It’s placing another person’s need above our own. It’s caring more about God’s opinion than man’s opinion. There is right and wrong in this world, isn’t that rational? If obedience is too hard a word, let’s be rational and use the brain God gave us to worship Him. He did create you and then forgave every sin you’ve ever committed didn’t He?
Father thank you for allowing the pendulum to swing back to you again and again.