One stupid choice can change your life forever.

Today I made a really stupid choice. I decided it would be a good idea to send a text message to my sister while driving. Now, I don’t send many text messages. Actually I am quite adverse to the practice (why don’t you just call the person?), but she wasn’t answering her phone and I needed to give her a message. So I’m in the middle of the message when I look up…

Just in time to see that I have crossed the center line and am about one foot from hitting the blue mini-van coming the other way. We both swerved at just the right time to avoid a head-on collision. Thank you, Jesus!

Let’s say I didn’t look up in time. Or the mini-van driver didn’t see me. At best, it would have just damaged two vehicles. And been very, very expensive for me to fix both. At worst, a head-on wreck could have resulted in a loss of life. Or several lives–mine, the other driver’s, and, God forbid, the kids in the mini-van (there is never an acceptable time to drive a mini-van without kids).

If we would have wrecked, it would not have just affected me. The collateral damage would have extended to our families, our friends, our circles of influence, and our employers. the ripple effect would ruin many lives.

And the cost for a stupid mistake would be exorbitant, especially in comparison to the reward (a measly text message).

Recently, I have seen several lives fall apart due to a stupid mistake. A marriage destroyed because of a moral failure. It only takes one stupid mistake. And your family, marriage, ministry, and friendships are shot.

The collateral damage casts a wide net.

It was only by the grace of God that I looked up in time to avoid a wreck and survive texting while driving.

It will only be by the grace of God that my marriage, ministry, and life will survive the moral temptations of this age.

I tore my ACL playing football my senior year of high school. After receiving treatment and a brace from our athletic trainer, I distinctly remember walking (on crutches) past the weight room and saying joyfully to myself, “I’ll never have to go in there again!” You see, I hated lifting weights. I didn’t mind getting exercise playing sports and games, but I hated to work out. Probably because I wasn’t very strong to begin with.

Well, the pounds have accumulated since high school. So I’ve decided to change the way I eat and, hopefully, exercise. So I started using the perfect pushup some last week. Man was I sore. You see, I haven’t really done much exercise in about a year. Sure, I had eaten every single day. But no exercise. So the muscles of my youth (yeah right) got lazy. So they push back to strenuous activity now. To get throught he soreness, I must push through and work them.

Same thing happens spiritually as well. I consume a lot of information–reading Scripture, sermons, blogs, commentaries, articles, etc. All that is good. But if it does not lead to spiritual action, then it is in vain. I will have enjoyed all the sugar and sweets for Christianity without ever eating my vegetables.

Informational intake without missional outflow will always lead to spiritual obesity.

And I have learned recently that when you begin to exercise your missional muscles, there will be soreness and a temptation to quit. Its hard.

But, push through. For the glory of God.

If you are not a senior pastor (and since this blog is for those beginning ministry, I doubt you are), then this is a good word for you. It was for me.

Follow your Pastor.

I know there are some things that you would do differently if you were the HPIC (the head preacher in charge). Yeah, you would be more creative. You would blog. You wouldn’t use the KJV. You wouldn’t tell “preacher stories.” You would ____. You wouldn’t _______.

But the fact is you’re not the Pastor. I’m not either.

So, we have a choice. We can do our own thing in our particular part of ministry. Pursue our own dreams. Cast our own vision. And secretly wish we were in charge of the whole she-bang (is that how that is spelled?).

OR

We can put all our energies into joining our Pastor in the mission and vision God as given him. We can submit to his spiritual authority in our lives. We can do everything we can to make him look good. And it may mean doing some things differently than we would do.

In the former, we undermind the whole operation and develop the poor habits of distrust, arrogance, and impatience.

In the latter, we forge in our lives the desirable qualities of humility, loyalty, and obedience.

Friends, follow your Pastor!