People are stupid. We forget things we really aught not to. Recently, I accidentally said something profound. My wife was lamenting the fact that our society makes necessary the relentless pursuit of money. And while there’s plenty to be said about the dangers of greed and bowing down to Mammon, my mouth opened and I said “That’s just how money works. Either your wealth is increasing or it’s decreasing.”
What does this have to do with being stupid? 15 years ago, my youth Pastor preached a sermon on the fact that, in all things, we as humans are either constantly advancing or receding. We are either growing or we’re dying. In all aspects (money, fitness, skill levels, education, relationships) we’re either growing stronger or weaker. I remember thinking “Yeah, that sounds right” before proceeding to not think about it again for another 15 years. That’s because I’m people, and people are stupid. Luckily for me, the right circumstances shook something loose and my not-always-particularly-advantageous habit of speaking without thinking brought something out of me that I’d forgotten was in there. (There’s a whole sermon to be preached on the importance of making sure that what we put in ourselves is Godly and helpful, btw!)
The real clencher about this aspect of the human condition is that there is no “in between.” There is no “okay” or “fine”. There is only growth and stagnation. There is only life or death. Those who would say “I’m fine the way I am, no need to rock the boat” are actually saying “I’m only committing a little suicide. There’s nothing to get worked up about!”
The most obvious proof of concept comes in physical fitness. Did you know that all of your body’s muscle building, all of your endurance, and the hormones your body needs throughout the day are made almost entirely while you sleep? Your body literally prepared you for today based on what you did yesterday. This principle equally applies to your relationship with God, your finances, your social standing, etc. What does your life look like today? Remind yourself that everything about your life today is the result of the person you chose to be yesterday. What do you want your life to be like tomorrow? No amount of positive thinking is going to correct how you actually spent today!
-Juston B.