Sunday, July 12, 2009

Defying the Odds...

I am currently on vacation in Winona Lake, IN, which is the town where I went to college and seminary. I was running tonight around the campus and remembered when I used to jog when I was in college. That was more than 15 years ago. Most of you probably would think that running was much easier then, but it wasn't.

Odds are, the older you get, the more out of shape you become. At 37, I am in the best shape of my life. My waist is smaller than it was in high school and I am stronger than I've ever been. I have been overweight my whole life and I am finally approaching the way I have always wish I could have looked and felt.

What changed? I finally really desired to be in shape. Oh, I assure you I had thought about it and made temporary attempts many times in the past. I'd try different routines, gyms, fad diets, but ultimately the desire for food and laziness always won out. Not any more. I am defying the odds.

Statistics say that the larger a church gets, the more inward focused it becomes. It doesn't have to be that way. As we get bigger, our chance for impact increases all the more. What do we need to defy the odds? Desire. We just have to want to reach the world more than we want to enjoy our own comforts. Let's not just "wish" that we could be a church that changes our valley and the world. We've got God living in us. Let's just go do it!