Stark Contrast?

A few nights ago I found I had a choice. Either I could read my bible, or my book.

Hard choice? Well what do you think? I had both laid out, and only time for one.
My mind began churning at this point. Hmm.... on one side is the book, (an excellent book) that offers instant entertainment. And the other, the bible, offering more long-term entertainments. Flashy and gripping adventure, suspense, mystery and involving drawings or time spent meditating and underlining and hopefully being enlightened. (depending on the scripture) Beautiful, rustic, travel-tome look and upraised cover or simply a plain softcover, quite bent and fraying at the edges. Both offer amazing stories, great plots and inspiring dreams. Both can be read and enjoyed over and over again. One offers temporarily relaxing, stress-relieving bliss, and the other, while it can be relaxing, offers eternal worth.

I didn't immediately make a decision. I'm happy to say I didn't choose my book right away, yet unhappy that I didn't promptly choose my bible. The pros and cons floated around until I realized the very last thing I had thought of. The bible offers eternal worth.
A short laugh actually escaped my mouth. These two books were actually equally balanced by similarity and differences, yet it had taken me this long to realize that really, a stark contrast existed.

How can something temporary compete with something eternal? But everyday I see myself and others in situations just like this, and I don't always see the right choice. Sometimes I feel so "busy" that I immediately snatch what is designed to be appealing at that instant. Never stopping to realize what truly matters. So many times I am tricked into choosing the option that offers only temporary happiness, without seeing that I am losing true satisfaction, that can only be found in God. Satisfaction that can only be found by pursuing his will and resisting the temptations that are so appealing. Satisfaction that comes when you realize you are doing what God wants you to do, and that it is right.

Here's a verse that may be taken out of context, but still fits well. 1 Corinthians 10:23, "Everything is permissible - but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible, but not everything is constructive."

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