Life is full of pesky ruts. We are busied with one task after the other, unending obstacles, and that elusive carrot in front of us that we just keep chasing. Looking back we remember that we set out with excited determination to accomplish each goal and breeze through the difficulties. However, when we take a moment to suspend our busyness and reflect we admit that somewhere along the way we became disillusioned. The mundane has set in. As a result we 1) try even harder to catch that carrot or 2) realize we'll never catch the carrot and become complacent in general.
Depressed yet? Thankfully these ruts are not entirely constant. We experience moments of fun and happiness that spur us on. While we are still young in our dreams and goals, the mundane is even less frequent and our excited determination is still fresh! But somewhere in the back of our minds we are aware of the tendency to fall into a rut and with a cold shiver we push that thought aside and press on with motivation to avoid the ruts at all cost!
Is this really the way we have to live? Must we live in fear of looming ruts? Are we fully reliant on our goals and dreams to guard us against the mundane?
No. The answer to each of the above questions is a firm ‘NO’.
We certainly cannot keep our lives exciting and fresh for long. Not a single one of our goals or motivations has the power to protect us from the ho-hum of daily life. Our goals and motivations cannot conquer death, poverty, fear, or heartache. They are simply distractions, whether or not we achieve them in the end.
In the face of this dismal reality, Jesus Christ offers Himself as an alternative. Without Him we are enslaved by ruts, monotony, and an endless rat race. With Him we have exactly what we need to survive, exactly what we need to feel whole, and exactly Who we need for contentedness. With Christ we can lead a life of absolute routine (if that is what He leads us to do) and never have to face the doldrums. Likewise, we can lead a life without predictability (if that is what He leads us to do) and never face anxiety. Why? Because He is our satisfaction! He is our goal! He is not an elusive carrot but our reachable, faithful friend who is accessible because our Heavenly Father sent Him to rescue us and He said yes!
Contrary to common belief, we have a choice between Christ and the mundane. This choice is ours to be made each and every day. Because Christ became our sin and conquered it by laying down His life and rising again (see 2 Corinthians 5:21), we are no longer ruled by the laws of this world that lead to sin which promises satisfaction but delivers death. Rather, we are free to choose Him and His strength which overcomes the perpetual ruts of life.
My dear reader, do not be discouraged if you find yourself in one of these ruts. Praise Him for making you aware of the doldrums you’ve entered! Your awareness of the emptiness means that the Holy Spirit is reminding you that you’re missing out on the freedom of a life daily surrendered to Jesus Christ! Praise Him for that reminder and throw yourself into Christ's fullness and renewal! Much like our nerve endings help us by sending “ouch” signals to our brain when we are injured, the Holy Spirit helps us by sending “empty” signals to our hearts when we are not seeking Christ.
Jesus said,
“Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
-John 4:13-14
We will always be thirsty so long as we are drinking in the standards of this world. But when we drink in Jesus Christ we receive the blessing of a never ending supply of true fullness, refreshment, and purpose.
Jesus Christ pours out His unconditional love to each of us but we reject it when we are distracted by the busyness of this rut-filled life. Thankfully, His love does not depend on us. He continues to love, to feel compassion for us, and to extend His freedom to us. As long as we are alive it is not too late to surrender, exchanging our lives for His.
How do I know all of this to be true? Because my Savior has revived me from the suffocation of the mundane.
Jesus Christ is my faithful friend.
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