THE "TENSION" RULE OF THUMB

I have come to recognize a tendency I have, which I think may be universal. It is a "normal" tendency that also should serve as a huge warning light on the dashboard of your mind. I am talking about the natural tendency to eliminate tension in our lives.

Whenever I feel tension or stress, I tend to prioritize eliminating the tension, rather than making the smartest and most strategic decision moving forward. For example, some people have a significant amount of tension in their marriage and this can lead to day dreaming about ending the marriage and walking away. The goal is peace and relief, rather than doing the hard work to repair and construct an awesome marriage. Marriages will always have a degree of tension and the tension is a good thing because it pushes us to maturity and growth.

I have seen guys get convicted about their porn habit and decide to eliminate computers from their life to eliminate the porn habit. While faith decisions can, at times, be extreme, most of the time the path God has for us is to walk in trust and overcome, rather than take an extreme measure to remove the battle.

I battle my feelings often about my standard of living, spending habits, toys, comfort, etc. I battle being a prosperous christian in a world of hunger. Should I live as meagerly as humanly possible? Should I sell my cars and take the bus? Should I never take vacations? These are the thoughts I have and extreme answers might alleviate my tension. However, I know that God's best for me will always include tension. God wants me to enjoy His blessings while also being generous and responsible as a steward of His resources. Tension.

Rule of thumb - If you are tempted to make an extreme decision because you are tired of the tension you are experiencing, stop and reflect. Most of the time, the exact place of obedience and surrender to Christ will be the place of tension. The absence of tension is never the goal; obedience is.