Life is an adventure. It is full of ups and downs, twist and turns, and expected and unexpected events. We all have dreams and desires we want to accomplish. I think deep down we all have a desire for more in our life. We all have a desire to grow in certain areas or season of our lives. We want to grow in our finances, grow as parents and grandparents, grow in our relationships, and grow in our emotional sates as well. We have built inside each of us by God, the One who created, knows and loves us, a desire to be more in this life to grow and make things better. The reality is that even though we have a desire for more, the default setting on our life is routine. We become creatures of habit and routine as it robs us from any growth. Not all routine is bad. Brushing your teeth, showering daily, exercising, reading your Bible are good habits or routines we need. But the danger with some areas of routine is that we can become too comfortable, lackadaisical, or content that we do not live up to our greatest potential. We stop dreaming, stop engaging, stop trying anything new, and stop moving forward. The extreme danger is we stop believing that there is more, that we can grow, or that life has more to offer. We begin to cruise through life on autopilot. We dampen our desire to grow, get more out of life, and live up to our greatest potential. This happens in our personal life, our relationship with Christ, and our faith community as well. Even worship can fall into a routine where we attend out of obligation and not out of a desire to grow and get more out of this life.
When Jesus first began his earthly ministry he understood this principle. On the shore of a lake, Jesus encountered a guy who was stuck in life. Simon was in a routine and pattern in his life that was comfortable but he stopped dreaming for more. Simon and his brothers were in the family fishing business just like their father, their father’s father and generations before them. They were not rich but were able to make a decent living for themselves. Simon’s life was not filled with chaos but he was a victim of sameness. That one encounter with Jesus that day changed not only the course of Simon’s life but the entire world as we know it. Sometimes it takes an enlightening incident in our life to jar us out of routine. Sometime it takes a sobering reflection on our current situation to ignite our desire to grow and get more out of our life. In reality isn’t life too short to not get out of it all we can even if that means getting out of those things that are comfortable, predictable, and controllable? If you want more out of life, if you want to grow in an area of your life, go to the lake shore and revisit Jesus and Simon. It may just spark some growth in your life.
Peace, Love & Happiness:
Tommy
