The Definition of Crazy

If you've ever had a fish, I'm sure you've had one like mine. She swims in her tank going back and forth, back and forth, all the day long. The same route of swimming. Up one side, across, back down, across to the other side. All. Day. Long. And I look at her and without hesitation say, "Wow, Alice, you are crazy."

I don't think it was a coincidence that I see this and continue to see it everyday. I think there is something to learn from her. As I look at my daily life and pursuit of Christ, I can see I do the same thing.

He has saved me from sin, that I am no longer bound to, and I go right back to it. We have been delivered from that domain, and I willingly swim right back over to it, out of the Light. Why?

It's not that I don't love God. I love him more and more each day. And it's frustrating to look and evaluate my relationship and see that I keep going back to the same mistakes. Extremely frustrating. It reminds me of the Galatians.
I think this will be a daily challenge for all Christians. It's so easy for us to fall back on our habits and do things how we want, how we're used to, without even thinking about it. And then we realize, wow, God, you really have a better plan. I messed up again. And again. And again.

Thank God for his grace. He not only gave us salvation, but he sanctifies us. And Christ died once and for all for every sin I have done, am doing, and ever will. His wrath is holy, and was justified, but motivated out of his love. Amazing.

Truly amazing grace. That we take sooo much for granted.

As I look at Alice every morning, afternoon, and evening. It is a reminder to me: I can't go back to who I once was. I need to continue on, press on. Run the race with endurance that was set before me.

My reminder--
2 Corinthian 12:9-10: But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Philippians 3:7-11 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith--that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.