Dear Diary,
Walking this cool morning in Oklahoma City, I was thinking over a recent conversation with my Leetle Brudder (who lives in a kinder clime) about how I manage to do my walking when the Oklahoma weather turns hot and humid.
On a treadmill at the gym.
That's how I manage to walk.
And I hate it.
I said to my brother, "For our family, walking on a treadmill is right up there with sitting in a recliner; we just can't easily spend our energy or time without PRODUCING something".
This morning, as I walked and remembered that statement, it occurred to me that these are attitudes ingrained in us in our childhoods, not by words, but by the way my parents lived.
You don't "waste energy" or "kick back" much when you have nine children and very limited resources.
But, as I thought about my aversion to the treadmill and the recliner, indeed, my judgmental attitude about both of those things, this portion of 2 Corinthians 10 came to mind:
"...take every thought captive to obey Christ..."
Have I ever thought about taking all my little ingrained (or invited!) aversions and preferences captive to obey Christ?
Have my aversions to some things and my preferences for others ever been the little 'g' gods that I've served instead of obeying Christ?
I have to walk on a treadmill and sit in a recliner because of my physical brokenness.
Wouldn't it be nice if I did those things in a spirit of peace?
Would the treadmill and the recliner help me more if I took my aversions (going nowhere! stillness!) and preferences (productivity! action!) captive to obey Christ?
Let's find out.