Day 2492 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.


Proverbs 12:1 NIV

Well, you gotta love those verses that just say what needs to be said! This is probably one of those that many would find offensive, but that's okay. As we've talked about plenty in the past we need to be offended with the truth. It forces us to open our eyes and begin to consider the possibility of different perspectives. While it may not be comfortable to be called out it is absolutely crucial.

If we avoid the things that make us uncomfortable then we risk more than we could ever imagine. We risk becoming disillusioned to what's real. We become used to a life where everything goes our way and everything always works out just as we want. Then that causes us to fall into this line of thinking where if anything doesn't go our way then we immediately lose our cool because that's not how we're used to life unfolding.

It quickly becomes this vicious cycle of selfishness and foolishness where we lose all sense of reality in the process. We need the things that don't go our way. We need the truths that confront our complacency. We need to be pushed beyond what we want or what we find easy and relaxing. If all we ever do is what's easy and simple then all we'll ever find is a life that leaves us with absolutely no growth or excitement.

We have been taught to avoid anything and everything that doesn't seem right. And sadly, if it's hard then we don't think it's right. If it hurts then it can't be right. If it forces us to think or consider different points of view then it can't be right. If it makes us open our minds to anything other than our opinions then it can't be right. Friends, that's all nonsense. It's nothing but a bunch of malarkey that we've thought up to use as excuses for staying where we are and avoiding the hard work that comes with change and improvement.

So don't skip what's hard. Don't avoid what pushes you. Don't allow yourself to only consider what you agree with. That may all be far easier but it's only easier because it doesn't require anything from us. It lets us stay the same. It lets us remain deluded. It allows us to remain hidden in some strange version of life where all that matters is what we say matters and nothing else could possibly be better and we can't possibly be wrong.

We will never learn anything that way. We'll only live a life that's a shadow of what's possible and of who we have the potential to be. What we have to always keep in mind is that what makes us comfortable and what makes us better are almost always different things. Don't settle for the first when the latter leads to something far more amazing!

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