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Something to Strive Towards

Something I think we often neglect is having an ideal to strive towards. We get wrapped up in the very real limitations, problems, and troubles of our world and adopt a very pragmatic attitude towards life. We focus on what we can do and how to simply keep things from getting worse. We then often dismiss those who put forward an ideal as idealists or naïve.

There is nothing wrong with being pragmatic. We need to be aware of the gifts God has given us and the resources we have been blessed with. We need to be humble enough to realize that we cannot do everything we want and can do nothing perfectly. It is good to realize that unbridled idealism is unrealistic and ultimately disappointing.

However, pure pragmatism simply keeps one afloat. Without an ideal to strive towards, a standard to reach for, we don't grow. If there is no vision or goal we tend to be aimless.

As Christians we are called both to be realistic in our dealings with the world and to strive for the ideal that is Christ. We are both called to be "as crafty as serpents and as innocent as doves" as well as to be "perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." We are called to be smart, wise, and understanding of both our own sinfulness as well as the sinfulness of the world. We are also called to strive to be like Jesus in all things.

It is in this tension that we must make our home. Too often I think we lean one way at the expense of the other. We either are too pragmatic and scoff at the ideals presented by Christ, or we expect the ideal to be reality while ignoring the grim situation our world is in. We need both.

We need to expect integrity, wisdom, faithfulness, and holiness from our leaders. We also need to realize that no leader is perfect and all fall short of God's glory. We should desire our churches to proclaim the truth, serve the poor, reach the lost, and worship in the Spirit. We should also recognize that the church is made up of sinners and is still growing more like Jesus. 

We need to strive towards Jesus while recognizing that we need Jesus to even take a step. We need the ideal and the realism. Have a vision that pushes you to strive towards Jesus all the while depending on Jesus to help us take each and every step.

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