Blog
Moderation? What's that?
Category: Spirituality
Total abstinence is easier than perfect moderation.
~Saint Augustine
Man, that quote has ME written all over it. I am a very passionate person, so the idea of moderation is pretty foreign to me. I go at it 100% or not at all. You can see this reflected in my running goals (Boston Marathon!), my UT Football fandom, and the extremes that I will go to in order to effectively teach. But this passion that drives my life has its downside, too. In the past (keyword: past), I have prematurely jumped into relationships that were obviously not right; I struggle to complete many projects that I begin as my passion for the project gets devoted to something new and/or different; I rarely struggle with sin in small doses - it's either very little or a LOT.
The most obvious negative of this passion is in the number of unfinished projects consistently on my to-do list. It takes an incredible amount of effort and discipline for me to complete projects. Whether it be a website I'm making for fun or finishing a book or organizing my music library, I struggle to complete the things that I started so excitedly. I have to set deadlines for myself, set goals. This "trait" of mine makes it difficult for me to regularly read the bible or pray, as well. I get excited about it, but after a few days that excitement fizzles and I feel like I have to MAKE myself do it.
In regards to sin, well, Augustine knew what he was talking about when he spoke that quote. Those things that I struggle with most are either never on my mind or I can't get away from them. It's incredibly frustrating to go forever without struggling, only to give in on an unprecedented level. I walk away feeling like Peter, after proudly proclaiming that he would never deny Jesus, only to find himself doing it - three times!
Do you struggle with achieving moderation? How does this reflect itself in your day to day life? What about your relationship with God?
What I Really Want
Category: Spirituality
A small excerpt from my life goals list:
- Get married (to ginni)
- Have kids
- Run the Boston Marathon
- Finish my degree from The University of Texas at Austin
You just have to take a look at my life to see that this is true. I desire to run the Earth, watch the sky, but I am really just looking at all the cool rocks that I am approaching. Since the beginning of time, over 125,000,000,000 people have lived. I am no more noteworthy than the other 124,999,999,999 people, yet I live as though my life is the most important thing. I have another 60-80 years left to do whatever I want. Shouldn't I be devoting it to something that will last longer than the memory of those around me?
Regardless of what I have going on in my life, whatever I do, I should be praising Him and giving Him glory. It is arrogant of me to think that my circumstances merit disobeying Him. If this should be the last day that I have before I breathe the air of Heaven, let me live it with abandon to the only One that remains after my last day here on Earth.
The point of your life is to point to Him.
~Francis Chan, Crazy Love
