I’ve never witnessed this. Have you?
I’ve never seen someone living like a hellion completely turn it around simply because they started ‘drifting’ toward a better way to live and eventually arrived. No, it seems to me that it takes some kind of interference in order to get someone on the right course. Call it what you want.
- intervention
- restraint
- incarceration
- influence
- force
- grace
- love
- violence
- threats
- bribery
- temptation
- guilt
- gentleness
- trust
- shame
- honor
Good, bad, painful, ugly, sedating…but it’s going to take something!
The individual in question won’t simply drift to a better course.
And what is most strange about this phenomenon is that the principle only seems to apply to the higher road, the better course, the more honorable destination or godly path. You just don’t drift over to these.
But people drift over to poor choices and destructive paths all day every day. People drift off course little by little and sometimes in big chunks (more commonly seen when the storms off life are battering you). In fact, it’s so common I find I need certain guardrails in my life to prevent me from drifting off course. There are many of these.
- time with the Lord
- Bible reading
- prayer
- fasting
- exercise
- reading
- meditation
- worship
- serving
- giving
- praiseing God
- accountability
Sometimes drifting off course is just frustrating and requires only a minor course correction to get back on track. Other times it can be a complete and crushing disaster and there are even times when we go beyond course correction and it can cost us everything—even our very life.
If you’re a little off course right now (or even way off course) why don’t you start making the adjustments now?—Before it gets any worse.
And don’t wait for it to happen all on its own.
You never simply drift into better behavior.