Random thoughts: Obedience

Lately I've been struggling with material possessions. 

As many of you know, I spent a little over a week at CBC visiting my most amazing older brother, Jared. While I was there, the school had a special speaker named Mark Batterson come and teach for spiritual emphasis week. 

During one of his "sermons", he said something that completely transformed my mind. He said, "Don't accumulate possessions, accumulate experiences." It's such a simple concept, but it struck me in such a way that, to say the least, changed the way I will forever look at myself. 

Over the course of the past few years I've been building this library of my favorite movies. l had a few of my favorites from various genres. I had a couple Pixar animated videos; a few high-budget action movies; a few Will Ferrel comedies; a few dramas, and even a tear-jerker. To say that I love movies would be a major understatement.

While I was at CBC I met a kid who was playing Donkey Kong on a rather incapable television. At first I didn't think much of it, but after he stood there slapping the tv with his bare hands trying to jolt some life into it, I felt like God was telling me to bless him by giving him my tv. So I offered it to him, and he accepted it gratefully. 

Later that week I realized, hey, I have an Xbox, but no tv to play it on. I considered telling him he couldn't have the tv after all, but I knew that wouldn't be right. So I resolved to offer the Xbox to him as well, which he accepted. 

Saturday morning Jared drove me home. I was prepared to give him my tv and my xbox, but for some reason I didn't even think of the fact that I have a decent movie collection of 60 some titles. 

As soon as I made eye contact with the movies, I knew I was supposed to give them away too. So I took Jared's iPhone (which is pretty sweet, btw!) and called this guy up. He said he'd be happy to have my movies, and I was happy to give them away. 

As I was sitting there boxing up these movies, I felt like God was telling me to give every bit of entertainment I had away so that I could focus on him more easily. But the longer I sat there, the harder it was for me to put some of them in the box. 

I thought to myself, "What am I doing? I'm giving away at least $200 worth of movies here!" So I resolved to keep my favorite titles to myself, and box up the rest to give away. I said to myself, "That's not a bad compromise.... right?"

WRONG. 

Too often I find myself trying to compromise with God, saying things like, "God won't mind if I watch this; this movie isn't that bad" or, "God doesn't care if I listen to this band, so long as they don't curse" or, "God doesn't care if I talk like this, because people know I'm just joking around..."

Seriously? Can I even say that, and at the same time call myself a Christian?

Hebrews 12:1 says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

God calls us to live perfect lives. Now I'm not saying he EXPECTS us to be perfect... but that's what he asks of us. He wants ME to throw away everything that keeps me from better serving him, and furthering his kingdom (i.e. movies), but I find myself damning God to the confinements of this box of compromises instead of being real with myself and saying, 'You KNOW this is what God is asking of you!'

Now, maybe the issue with the movies wasn't that big of a deal, (although there's something to be said about disobeying God), but I just find that this situation is symbolic with how I live my life: Just as I picked and chose which movies I was going to keep for myself, I pick and choose which areas of my life I will be completely Christian in. 

In conclusion, I pray you will learn from my experience and listen (and obey!) when God speaks to you. I pray you will not be like me in choosing your areas of christianity. I pray that you would seek to gain experiences in life - not worthless possessions. And lastly, I pray that you will give me prayer to have the strength to do the same. 

Peace out. 
One love.