Watch The Drift
I remember a number of years ago having a layover in London on my way to Swaziland Africa. The layover was long enough to go into the city and do some exploring. I can still see the double decker buses, the shops and the train stations. One specific memory was a sign on the trains and at the train stations. It was a specific three word reminder and warning:
MIND THE GAP.
That little reminder and warning have stuck with me all these years later. It drew attention to the potential danger that was there if you were not careful or attentive.
Recently I was reading through the book of Hebrews and came across another important reminder. Though it doesn't call us to notice where our feet are walking, it does call us to pay attention to our lives and our ability to drift.
“Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.”
(Hebrews 2:1, ESV)
We have the ability to drift.
"Drift from what?", you may ask.
Drift from truth.
Life is always moving and adjusting. The changes are never ending. Culture, society, health, resources and relationships all experience it. The simple and cliché truth is that change is constant.
If you are a follower of Jesus, however, your life is built upon something - more specifically Someone - that doesn't shift of change (see Hebrews 13:8). Even when people, circumstances or things in life drift, we are called to hold to the truth.
Here are three questions to consider from the verse above:
1) Am I paying attention?
A drift isn't drastic - it always starts subtle. Are we paying attention? Is there an anchor - a true north - in our lives? If truth is always shifting or changing, we don't have truth, we have convenience. No one ever expects to be broke - they just drift there. No one ever expects to become an addict - they drift there. No one ever expects to lose their character - they just drift there.
2) What is the truth that I have heard?
We are called to pay attention to the "truth we have heard". Specifically the author of Hebrews is talking about the truth of Jesus and the salvation that He alone provides. It is critical that we pay attention. But what we pay attention to is paramount. Keep the truth of Jesus in focus in your life.
3) Are there any signs of drift in my life?
Before you answer this, take a moment to reflect on our ability to convince and deceive ourselves. Often, to answer this question accurately, we need to get some outside perspective. We need a friend who will speak the truth to us in love. Invite someone in who knows you well enough to tell you the truth you need to hear, not just what you want to hear.
This idea is so important because no one has ever drifted into discipleship. No one drifts into their God-given destiny. It requires intentional faith and perseverance. Drifting requires no intentionality, no discipline, no determination. We will never drift in to becoming who we are called and created to be.
Three simple words to remember as we move through life:
WATCH THE DRIFT