Don’t Fall

You shall not fall in with the many to do evil . . . Exodus 23:2

Well, it’s been a whirlwind of a week. My son graduates from college this week in Virginia, so we’ve traveled with extended family from Minnesota to Virginia for the event. It’s also been the week of semifinals in our months-long, worldwide CrossFit competition. My family has been gracious enough to indulge my obsession. So, every morning, while in Virginia, I’ve had to get up early and run into town to my buddy’s gym and record a workout. Then, the rest of the day has been filled with fantastic family time and graduation events. It’s been wonderful trip and I’m grateful for the opportunity to celebrate my son’s accomplishments, but still, it’s been a whirlwind.

When life gets this busy, somethings must go, right? There’s only so much time in a day. My sleep has taken a hit. I’ve not been as disciplined in my eating as I usually am. And, as you may have noticed, I didn’t publish the blog nearly as early today as usual. Last night, I made a calculated decision – crawling into bed way too late – to give myself a little extra sleep this morning. I still got up a half-hour early for my time with God but writing had to wait. Still, I felt compelled to get it done later. I know that I won’t relapse tomorrow if I miss a blog today, but if I’ve learned anything from my addiction and recovery, it’s that I must purposefully and daily seek the life I want. The life I simply fall into by living accidentally is a miserable life.

That’s the message of today’s passage. In it, God instructed his people not to follow the crowd, falling into evil. The language describes an event that doesn’t happen purposefully, but rather incidentally. I’ve been there. I didn’t mean to get addicted to drugs, wreck my marriage, and lose my job. It just kinda happened. When I let my nature take its course, I don’t naturally pursue of that which is physically, emotionally, or spiritually healthy for me. Rather, when I live accidentally, I naturally pursue the self-destructive.

In recovery now, I must daily point my life in the direction I want to go. I do understand that missing a blog today, doesn’t mean I’ll crash and burn tomorrow. But if I don’t take time to point my life at God today, I will drift off course a little. Then, if I do it again tomorrow, I’ll drift a little more. I’ll never be perfect, and I’ll never not stumble. Falling into evil though, is something I actively avoid only by living purposefully, daily pointing my life in the direction I want it to go.

BTW: Congratulations on graduating with highest honors Jake!