Where you at?

At one point in time every time I heard the question, "Where you at?" I couldn't help but think of those old people in the Boost Mobile commercial, remember that one?  With each day that goes by it feels like it is getting easier and easier (almost to a fault) to know the locations of our friends at all times.  With GPS, iPhones, and with Facebook "Check-ins" we can let people know where we are at and tag others with just a few taps on a screen.

Just this weekend I was able to attend a winter retreat with an organiztion called Athletes in Action.  One of the tight things about the whole experience was to see a crew of about 300 college athletes from all different locations within the Great Lakes area.  There were ballers from all locations, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Ohio State, Michigan State, Marshall, and Pittsburgh just to name a few.  We not only came together from different locations physically, but also spiritually.  We were a living definition of diversity.  Some people grew up in the hood, some in the suburbs, and some grew up without a father.  Some had grew up in the church, some even pastor's kids, while others barely had a clue who God was and had only bad impressions of people who at least called themselves Christians.  The whole spectrum, I'm telling you.

The crazy part for me, when I was taking this all in, was the fact that just about every status in this world, including being a college athlete, requires certain skills, credentials, experience, and pieces of paper (diplomas/degrees).  I feel like this is why I have struggled at times, as I'm sure others have, wrapping my head around the fact that God does not require us to have a skill set or a resume' that's legit in his eyes.  When we think we can get to that point, we need to remember that it is impossible to build a resume' on our own that will earn us a spot in heaven. We have it twisted.  God asks us to stop trying for a second and recognize we need some back up, better yet, a spot on the roster without a reference or tryout.  Where we have been, no matter what we have done, or what we have said in the past doesn't effect his desire to recruit us.  In other words, we don't have to go through a spiritual version of P90X to get jacked in order to start a walk with God, he can meet us wherever we are at, either literally or relation to him.  This video is my boy Lecrae's real life story in a rap, definitely some real talk, check it...

Blow your high!

Not to long ago I came across the classic hit song "Higher" by Creed.  It's fair to say the lyrics are talking about Heaven when they are rocking out the chorus.  Many times being "high" is considered a good thing, athletes want to move up on the depth chart, a businessman wants to be higher on the corporate ladder and almost everyone can appreciate a view that is only possible from high up.  After doing work in the gym or after a run our bodies produce a natural high through endorphins, it feels good, unless of course it's been awhile and you're too distracted by how out of shape you are too enjoy it.    

It's no wonder that we can get things twisted sometimes into feeling like anything that gets us "high" is automatically a good thing.  As well all know, there are some highs that can really screw us in the long run if we are not careful.  One of the first ones that probably comes to mind is the high that people get from smoking weed, however, it is a much wider range than that.  Some people can get a high from gambling, and everyone is prone to getting gratification from fulfilling a lust on some level. It can start with that extra long look at the opposite sex and escalate on from there.  The problem with these highs is that they can feel awesome...for a little bit.  Even though they are so temporary, they last just long enough to bait us into the next time, convincing us that more of the same will eventually fulfill us.  The reality of it is even though it feels like we are gaining something, the whole time our fake high of choice is stealing from us slowly but surely. It can involve our money, our time, our relationships, and most importantly our minds and hearts.

     

So what?  No one is perfect, everyone has a vice, that's just a part of life...or is it?  In Psalm 39, David reaches out, 

     “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
      Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is."

It is no secret that EVERYONE is only here for awhile, so why not try and make the most out of each day?  One solid approach I've come across is written in Col. 3:2, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."  Love ya'll.

Check this song that is very relevant to this topic, by Lecrae, "Blow your high" (lyrics here)