Do you have a list of things you try to avoid? We usually want to avoid things that are bad for us. Even though I enjoy a lot of things that are bad for me, I still maintain a list of ‘avoidables’. I try to avoid most of the usual enemies of happiness and long life: unhealthy foods, dangerous activities, uncomfortable situations, negative people and harmful influences, to name a few.
My list of avoidables grew larger with the help of Elijah. He was so committed to avoiding unhealthy foods that he would eat carrots and celery as snacks. I teased him that one day he would only need to be watered like a plant. He had committed to avoiding sugar in his diet, and wanted me to do the same. I was supportive, but I kept telling him that it was impossible to completely avoid sugar.
He didn’t stop there, though. He wouldn’t eat anything that had certain additives, like xanthan gum. I was shocked at how many foods had that in it. I probably would never have noticed, except that Elijah would make me read the ingredients on the packaging labels. As a prank, I was planning to give him a fake package of xanthan chewing gum for Christmas. I didn’t get the chance.
So as I was thinking about the things to avoid, I also got to thinking about the things not to be avoided. These are the things that are good for us. You may have a list of some of those things, too. But I wonder if you’ve ever thought about the most important thing never to avoid.
Start by thinking of the most important thing to you. For me, it’s the hope of eternal life with God in heaven. Happily for all of us, God made that a possibility. But it’s not about getting the golden ticket. It’s about having a relationship with God. And even though our behavior kept us from that relationship, God did the hard work of reconciling us back to him. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their sins against them… we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:19, 20)
Unfortunately, I disappoint God on a regular basis. But the most important thing I ever learned is this: it’s no longer my sins that trouble God, but rather when I let my guilt and shame keep me from Him. And the longer I stay away from Him, the easier it is to sin. The result is even more guilt and shame. So to avoid that downward death spiral, I have to constantly give everything up to him and ask His forgiveness.
The one thing to never avoid is being reconciled to God.
During his last month with us, Elijah sent the following text to his girlfriend, Madison. He wrote:
Pray and give it all up to God. He will help you I promise. But you have to be willing to ask for forgiveness and apologize for not believing in him and for forgiveness of your sins.
Elijah was good at avoiding unhealthy things, but I’m at peace knowing that he truly understood what was the one thing to never avoid. He knew how important it was to be reconciled with God. And he was especially good at running back to God and giving everything up to Him.
Elijah wanted to reach millions with that message. It’s as though he was echoing the words from 2 Corinthians: I beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God!
Please ‘like’ and ‘share’ this post as you find it helpful and inspiring. Thank you.
-Ken Buchanan
