Trying to Survive

I was reading an article on an old school "hobo code" that used to be left on trains as homeless men would hop on to find food and scratch out an existence in different towns. This code would reveal information about an area that would let other hobos know if a place would be safe, where to get a free meal, and even who would be generous if you told a good enough story. The code was a matter of trust between fellow travelers, but represented a greater need-the deep-felt need for survival and the willingness to use whatever means necessary to make that a reality.

Do we still have this survival instinct or have we gotten so comfortable in our modern lives that we have forgotten what it means to fight to get ahead? Do we invest great energy into moving forward or have we accepted our status and resigned ourselves (often subconsciously) to this pattern we live in now? A true survival response causes us to work diligently to protect and guide our families and to eliminate threats that take us away from our preferred future. It's our complacency that deadens this natural instinct until we find ourselves in desperate situations with no idea how we got there and an inability to respond in a way that guarantees our endurance. 

For the sake of our families, our communities, our churches, and our character we need to regain that innate passion for survival.

Instinct

I believe in the power of prayer. I believe that God waits to hear from His people & that it builds intimacy and spiritual dependency on His power. I have seen the evidence of prayer in my own life & in the transformation in others. I have witnessed people being healed from addiction and disease and watched as relationships were made whole that I thought would be broken forever. There is no doubt that God desires this intimacy with His people and that He wants to give us the pure desires of our heart as we invest in our journey with Him.

Sadly, even though I know it is the best thing that I can do, I often fail to make prayer my first instinct. It's a sad duality to be a person who firmly believes in something and yet doesn't always turn to it right away. The truth is that I don't like it when I realize this reality, but it spurs me to diligently focus on creating a first instinct of seeking God's wisdom & provision.

I want my legacy to be of a man that goes to God in prayer without hesitation and then acts afterwards instead of the other way around.

Instinct

We will inevitably have times in our lives when things don't go as well as we hope and expect. When that happens I tend to strategize and come up with solutions. I talk things over with those that I respect and get moving on a plan of action.

When things are going smoothly in life I tend to relish those moments and enjoy the ride. It's comforting to know that my family is blessed, ministry is productive and I am at peace.

What is my instinct in both sets of circumstances? If I am committed to following Christ it should always be to pray. To pray in times of need and also in times of blessing should be my natural reaction and what Scripture urges when it tells us to pray continually.

I'm not there yet, but I keep asking God to help me make my first instinct to always turn to Him.