Time To Break Camp And Move On

The capacity of human beings to adapt to circumstances is incredible. Have you ever watched footage of shelling in a war zone? I am always amazed to see people walking around, going to the market, walking to school, hanging out their laundry. There are bombs falling around them and they are going on with their day. Why? They've adapted to a new normal. Things have to be done, and so they just do them. What about people living in neighborhoods where drug deals are commonplace, gangs control the streets, and drive by shootings are regular occurrences? There are kids playing, people going to work, and moms sitting at the kitchen table helping kids finish homework. How? They've adapted to what is normal in their lives. Think about the family that is dealing with a loved one with a terminal disease, the woman in an abusive relationship, the person suffering debilitating depression, the homeless, the soldier who is shot at every day. Humans find a way to live with astonishing circumstances, and continue on.

Sometimes adapting is positive. Life does indeed have to go on. We can't just stop everything because of difficult circumstances. But sometimes, adapting can lead to accepting things we could change if we tried. Working in the mental health field, one of the most frustrating things was trying to help people realize how sick they really were. Perhaps they'd been depressed for years, and since it had worsened slowly over time, they couldn't see how far they had really fallen. And when you can't see you are in a hole, you don't look for help, or even accept help that is offered. People that have addictions often don't recognize how much of their life it has overtaken. People with mental illness and emotional disorders are masters of adapting to what is normal for them, and not seeing reality.

In a similar way, people who are lost don't recognize their need for a Savior. And people who are backslidden don't recognize how far they've moved away from God. And so they rest there. They set up camp and plant their flag and refuse to move. They become complacent. They accept things the way they are, and even begin to like it there. It is comfortable. It is familiar. It's not frightening, because they know what to expect there. And so, while God has much better things in mind for them, they instead stay stalled in their misery. They remain right where they are, and adapt to the circumstances, and therefore, miss the blessings God has waiting, just ahead if they would just step forward in faith.

Faith is action. Saying “I believe” is easy. Doing something based on that belief is where real faith lies. Look around you. Have you been camped in the same comfortable spot, refusing to move for a while now? Is God urging you to move forward? Don't let complacency and acceptance become your downfall.