I'll never give up caffeine.I can generate quite a list over the years. Some of my "I'll never" comments I'm very pleased with. They're based on convictions of what I believe is right and good. While I'd like to be open minded to being wrong about my convictions, I definitely hope to remain true to them while I have them - and hope that I don't develop convictions so quickly that I end up changing many of them over the years.
I'll never be a vegetarian.
I'll never let myself be poor.
I'll never live in Lansing (or Africa).
I'll never name my child Polly.
I'll never let my child get away with temper-tantrums.
I'll never marry a Christian (or a vegetarian, or anyone named Polly).
But many of my "I'll never" ideas are based on how I wish life would happen for me. I'd prefer not to be poor. I enjoy eating tasty, juicy barbecued slabs of cow. And I like to control my circumstances. Here's some questions that give me pause when I look at my list of "nevers":
Would I cheerfully follow God to live in Lansing if that was his will? Do I care more about my living situation than serving people where he wants me?
Would I cheerfully give up wheat if my wife or child was deathly allergic to it? Is my enjoyment of food more important to me than my family?
Is wealth more important to me than a loving relationship with my spouse? Will I allow my desire to possess money to put tension between my wife and I?
Is X the only right way to do things?
Is X so important to me that I would let it strain my relationship with my family to make it happen?
Is X so important to me that I wouldn't lay it down if God asked me to?
I have a lot of preferences. I think most of them make a lot of sense. But I really need remember that my preferences are not more important than helping others know God or following God myself.
4 comments:
I learned to stop using phrases like that... I even work hard (in specific contexts) to not say "try."
My youth pastor a long time ago said why try? Don't tell me you'll try. Do it, or don't. Saying you'll try is giving yourself an easy way out. If you fail, you fail, that is what grace and forgivenss is all about.
We are all losers and fall short of the glory of God...
38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
This verse has echoed in my mind all week... Do I do it or do I try?
Um, did you really mean to say you wouldn't marry a Christian?
And how did we nice Christian girls get lumped in with the vegetarians and Pollys?
And why do you have such a strong prejudice agianst Polly? I've begun praying the Lord brings along our future spouse shortly and that she is Polly. And a Polly that must name your daughter Polly as well because of family things.
Oh dear. This is what happens when the custodians replace the regular with decaf.
Meg...The list of "I'll nevers" is definately an assortment of various comments my friends or I have made. Which ones apply to me...well, no comment. :)
Will you NEVER update again?
Post a Comment