Beyond Survival

Thank goodness the holidays are almost over. Christmas has come and gone like a tsunami left in its wake much damage. Okay it hasn't been that bad, mostly just stress from going from here to there, some extra pounds around my mid section, selfish kids and an empty bank account. It is amazing how our lives get turned upsidedown during this season.

ENTER SURVIVAL MODE

The dictionary defines survival as "a state of surviving; remaining alive". I don't know about you but this doesn't sound very fun to me. So much for this abundant "Christian" life.

ENTER THE LESSON

God has been speaking to me about rising above what is going on around me. When the pressures at work are pushing me to and fro, rise above. When that angry customer comes in and tears a strip out of me, rise above. When the world is pressuring me with the stresses of Christmas, rise above. This is the beautiful thing about the Christian life is that we have the choice of being a part of the world system or separating ourselves and living on the plain of existence that God has called us to live on. The word says in (Eph 6:12) "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." If that is not a different plain of existance, I don't know what is.

I have realized as well that the enemy has me right where he wants me when I am in survival mode as I get horribly selfish. I am grasping for every crumb just to make it through the day. Just like two people drowning in the middle of a lake, they will grasp onto whatever they think will hold them up and drown each other. All of a sudden my focus goes back to my own two feet and my own needs and I start to forget what’s really important. I start to complain about my current situation, my job, the people, I stop serving my family and my church and I get just plain old grumpy.

ENTER THE REALIZATION

God can use me in even when I am in survival mode, because he is God, but I am certainly not modeling a Christian life that would be desirable to the world. So what is the opposite of survival? Thriving. The definition of thriving is " To grow vigorously; flourish". It is not hard to know when am in a state of thriving, the fruit is all around me and my focus is on things that are eternal.

Okay now I know I am in survival mode, I need to get into thrive mode, how do I get there? Well I need purpose. Purpose is the vehicle that is going to drive me out of this desert land of starvation and death into the land of plenty, the promised land. So what is my purpose? Well Carebear and I went out on a date and we decided to take some time to jot down what we know our purposes are. Here are a couple of the things I came up with.

My purpose is to:

• make disciples
• to be a loving husband and father
• to worship my God
• to serve my family
• to share Jesus with those who I come in contact with
• to understand and seek God's destiny for my life

The discipleship wheel puts it into three main categories, to love God, one another and the world. The pillars of this are truth, repentance and faith.

This Christmas I failed, I succumbed to the pressures around me and went into survival mode. But when I move into the land of "thrive" and leave survival I take on a new title, I am a survivor, one who has been been pushed to the limit and come out on the other side.