Ever stopped for a moment to think about your life in the midst of all the traffic in our busy schedules? I know for me, I often wonder am I doing life right, am "I living up to my full potential?" Other instances, I question my character, how I treat others and interact socially. All that is spelled out is failure, disappointment, longing for affirmation, etc. Games of self-pity emerge, to which every thought is dictated for a large sum of time, and escaping is only a perceived mirage of "false" hope. We never dare to make a conscientious effort to improve because we're afraid to. Modern technology offers a quick fix from the stress of life, giving us mindless indulgences. Could you count how many useless amounts of hours you spent surfing the web, watching YouTube videos, and entertaining yourself with a marathon on Netflix? I know I have done all of this. This void of emptiness is able to be corrected by only one source, Jesus Christ. In Matthew's account of Christ, we read in chapter 16 verse 24, "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.'" Following Jesus Christ refines us, prunes us, and "creates in us a new creation."
Working at Camp-Of-The-Woods this summer revealed to me a lack of genuine effort to follow Christ in my life. Being saved is one thing, living out my faith is another. We're not called to just believe in Christ, pray to Christ, and worship Christ, we are to follow him as well. In the middle of the summer, my position was changed from receptionist to buffet attendant. In the process of adjusting, I became sour about the switch, which ultimately, I was denying not myself but Christ. I told Jesus Christ, the supposedly Lord of my life, to whom I dedicated my life to a few years ago, I was not going to serve him with a cheerful attitude. I ignored what Psalm 19:14 says, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock, and my redeemer." My words didn't imitate Christ's love, nor were my actions pleasing to him. I was selfish, complained, and was irritable towards others. Thankfully, after a few weeks of working at the buffet, God helped me to have a different attitude. Sure, I didn't enjoy the early mornings and late evenings working, but I learned to seek God in the many small tasks I was given. What resulted was not only a changed attitude but greater joy. "Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don't let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin" (Psalm 19:13). I was freed from the guilt of letting God down and disappointing others.
In life, failure is inevitable. But what we do about it defines our best intentions. Do you walk into the fiery furnace with a cheerful attitude, or whine about it? At different stages and moments of life, we have a mix of the two. Daniel's three friends, Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego endured through terrifying agony brought upon from King Nebuchadnezzar. They didn't groan, scream, or pout, rather they praised God. In every trial, God refines us, makes us more like him, and matures us, as he did with Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego, equipping them with ease to walk into a furnace. We may never endure through a physical furnace, but serving God with the right attitude will always be a struggle; however, with Christ, we can do anything.
