I grew up in a very religious household. That is, if you consider going to church twice every Sunday, starting each normal day with prayer and a reading, saying grace before every meal, avoiding bad things and situations, etc. as being very religious. Growing up, we were always taught to "turn the other cheek", "follow the path of the least resistance", "do unto others..." - I think you catch my drift. At church we always sang the same old hymns, averting our eyes, not smiling or looking around, basically just being good Christians - or so we thought.

While these principles were all very good, I think they missed the point completely. The idea was maybe to make good examples out of us, which was not in itself a bad idea, and part of our task as Christians. But recently I started seriously pondering whether these things don't maybe put us into the "lukewarm" category? Safe in our comfort zones, maybe?

It is often amazing how overjoyed I can become over my sports team when they do well on the field, but when the moment comes to praise God for giving his Son to die for my sins (a much bigger reason for joy) I prefer to keep it to myself. Or how passionately I talk about my current favorite topic, but when it comes to spreading God's word (which is why we're here on earth, people!), I am at a loss for words. It is so easy to rather avoid the topic altogether for the sake of not offending friends or colleagues or avoiding humiliation. But let's remember the ultimate humility and suffering Jesus faced when being ridiculed while hanging on the cross. And what for? So that you and I may be free from sin. Not for his own gain, but for ours. Is it then too much to ask to speak out when necessary and stop denying Him? One moment of humiliation in exchange for the possibility that one soul might have Eternal Life?

I realize now that "following the path of the least resistance" is only the right thing to do if you're not denying God while doing it. And "turning the other cheek" has to be done with love and a prayer in your heart. And "do unto others..." we shouldn't do because we're expecting them to do to us, but because we have the Love of God in our hearts.

But maybe the most important thing that I've learnt recently is how little I actually know. The more I learn, the more I realize how little I actually know about God's Grace, Power and Love.

Life's a journey. And what a ride with Him at the wheel!

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