overcoming instinct

Today in the One Year Bible, we read from Jude 1:1-25. Jude tells us that we should NOT be like those who were leading some of the Christians astray in the church he was addressing. He uses tons of similes to describe them... in one paragraph, he compares them to reefs, shepherds, clouds, trees, waves, and stars. Whew. That's alot of similes!

But one thing he says really comes home to us. He says that we should learn to overcome our instincts, unlike these mislead believers. Jude says that they were using the "mercy of God" to do whatever they wanted - giving in to all of their desires, just indulging their instincts.

And that is one of the main points of life, I think. Learning NOT to simply follow our instincts. It can be hard, I know. Today in traffic, I was entering the road from a side entrance, with my blinker on, and plenty of room, but the car coming up on the road I was entering was NOT happy that I pulled in front of him, and he laid on his horn. In the annoyance of the moment, I laid on my horn back at him, and gestured with my hand as if to say "What??" Then I was ashamed at giving into my instincts and acting like a child (or a wave, or a shepherd, or a reef). I realized that I'd failed that test, and resolved to do better on the next one.

And that's what life is about. Realizing when we fail, and resolving to do better next time. To rise above our instincts, and to love instead.

God, thanks for teaching us how to be better than our base instincts.