I love the chorus to Matthew West's song "The Motions"....
I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming
passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"
It's a wonderful reminder to me when I get complacent, comfortable, or content with my daily walk. Am I giving everything I have, or am I just putting in time? Am I "going through the motions" of life, or am I intentionally and purposefully planning and living out the precious moments of my life? Am I selling myself and my Creator short by not giving my best (and thereby sacrificing the gift)? And how do you know when you're just going through the motions? I think you know it....I have actually suggested to friends I've trained that it's OK to sometimes go through the motions of a workout, just to get it in. I regret the advice. I'm convinced now that it's not OK to "just get through" a workout. Either you do it right, with intention and commitment, or you shouldn't do it. Doesn't mean every workout needs to be maximum effort, to exhaustion, but every workout should count for something. In life, every interaction is an opportunity. Every human connection we make should count for something - when we go through the motions with our relationships, we short-change people. Either you're 100% invested in them or your not. Once you've made the commitment, how you act and carry yourself throughout the interactions says a great deal about you and, more importantly, is a reflection of whose you suggest you are. If I tell people that I have faith, I had better be the best possible reflection of my Lord and Savior. Doesn't mean I'm perfect - we all fall far short - but clearly, I don't stand any chance of being the person He wants me to be if I'm going through the motions in life - mailing it in. I don't think He wants me to get comfortable. Or complacent. Or content. The day that I do is that day that I stop growing, and it's the day that I risk looking back on my life saying "What if I had given everything.....? I'm not a fan of "what ifs", never have been, and don't want to start now. I want to live a life of with no regrets. I want to Keep the Faith, live with Passion, and BELIEVE!
"Every human connection we make should count for something - when we go through the motions with our relationships, we short-change people. Either you're 100% invested in them or your not. Once you've made the commitment, how you act and carry yourself throughout the interactions says a great deal about you and, more importantly, is a reflection of whose you suggest you are." love.
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