Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Going Back to the Beginning is Not the Best Option

One of my favorite movies is The Princess Bride.  In one scene Inigo Montoya is waiting at the village for his "boss" to come back.  He tells those trying to get him to move, I was told if we ever got split up to go back to the beginning.  Well this is where we got the job so this is the beginning...

When life get's hard or you don't know where to go or what to do next do you ever just go back to the beginning?  Back to what you used to know?  Back to what you were doing before?  What is comfortable... or at least recognizable?

Even if where we came from was not good, an abusive relationship, a co-dependent lifestyle,  parents basement, or that person we used to be - that we still hate, we will still gravitate back to that because it is what we know.  We know what to expect.  What is coming next.  Where we stand with others, or even in our own mind.

No matter how good what we have now is, or could be, there is still a tug to go back.

Jesus disciples struggled with this.  In John 21 this is exactly what happens.  Jesus has fulfilled his mission to live, die and be raised to life to the glory of the Father and for the salvation of the human race.  He's even shown Himself to be alive by talking to and eating with the disciples on several occasions.  And still, Peter and some others say, "let's go fishing."

Fishing is what they were doing in the beginning.  They had just come in from a catch of fish when Jesus said, "Follow Me."  And they did.  But now things are different.  He's there with them, but not really there with them.  They are still a little confused as to what is going to happen next.  And certainly all they had hoped would happen is now done and gone.  So they go back to what they know.  Fishing.  You don't have to worry when you're fishing.  They could tell when a squall was going to be likely so they could avoid those.  They knew what to watch for with the nets breaking so they could avoid that too.  You go out, you fish, you come back, you fix nets, you do it again tomorrow.  Consistent that is what it was.  And nothing in their lives had been very consistent since they left the beak nearly four years earlier.

The easy thing is to go back.  Going back means giving up.  Giving up means you don't have to try so hard anymore or worry so much.  Going back means the familiar.  But going back also means missing out.  If you go back you may know what your life will be like, but you won't know what it could be.  You may not have to worry about what's next, but you will still worry.  You may not have to work so hard, but very few things that have worth come free or easy.

Jesus disciples weren't sure what to do so they went back.  Let me encourage you to keep moving forward. If you don't know where to go or what to do next use that time to take a break and pray for guidance and wisdom.  The life of faith is not about going back, it's about moving closer.  Closer to God through His Son Jesus Christ.  Closer to each other through community and relationships.  Closer to the heart of God in loving Him and loving others.

Satan wants you to go back.  Back to your old habits, hang-ups, addictions, abuses and vices.  Christ is calling you to keep walking forward with Him.  There may be new challenges but there will also be new life, new strength and new hope.

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