Read again 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
v 26. So I run with purpose in every step.
I can recall sitting in my garden during that long hot spell back in July just watching a butterfly drift aimlessly (or so it seemed to me) around the flowers and vegetables. Whatever it was looking for it never seemed to find it and in the end it fluttered next door. It zigzagged, went up and down, landed on a flower for the briefest of moments, and did every trick in the book except loop-the-loop. If it was looking for nectar it missed some spectacular opportunities as it drifted past the wildflower bed.
Does that ring any bells with you when you think about how some folk live?
I’ve certainly come across a few over the years who have drifted aimlessly through school, exams, work, and even relationships, never finding satisfaction or a sense of purpose in anything at all. Some things get done out of habit (the ‘We always do this on Sunday’ mentality), and other things only happen when the final red demand letter drops on the doormat.
Now that is not the pattern of life God wants us to adopt, and nor does it lead to satisfaction or usefulness.
This week therefore it will be good to keep asking ourselves the question ‘Why am I doing this – really? Is there purpose or value in it; does it in some way further my walk with God as one of His children; does it help others in their Christian lives; does it bring benefit to others in the community – and so on? We might also find ourselves examining the other side of the coin and asking why we don’t do something. Discipline is so much more than saying ‘NO’, it also involves positive action to take on something worthwhile, leaving the armchair and TV for a while in order to participate in a worthwhile venture.