One of my favorite Relient K songs opens with the lyric, “I’m giving up on giving up slowly.” It’s a song about redemption, resolve, and hope in a better life that is beginning now. It’s the moment we all experience when we walk out of the confessional.

God called us out of nothingness to live a life without sin. Along the way, we meet resistance. Even before the world tries to knock us down, we take ourselves down. We get beat by the sins, habits, tendencies, and tastes that we refuse to let go. Our past hurts and grudges keep us from growing. The voices of doubt, reluctance, and fear are the soundtracks of our minds. Maybe I’ll try to do better tomorrow.

Tomorrow turns into a week, turns into a month, a year, a lifetime. Before we know it, we’re further from the destination than when we started. All these small choices that we make carry us a little further off the path and into the weeds.

What if things were different? What if we gave up on giving up slowly? What if we raised the stakes and went all in? What if we laid down this dull life that we’ve chosen and embraced the life-giving cross?

How different would you feel each morning? How different would your marriage be? How different would your relationship with your children be? How different would your job feel? The Cross has a way of touching every area of our lives. Everything would be different.

I’m giving up on giving up slowly. I’m excising all the things getting in my way. I’m done with excuses and believing that a setback negates all my progress. I’m done neglecting my spiritual life for a few lousy extra minutes of sleep. I’m done. I’m done. I’m done.

Tags: Prayer