Getting Away from the Herd

 “Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in.” (1 Peter. 1:18-21 MSG)

I spent so many decades of my life pursuing half-truths and my own moral compass. Like a recovering addict, I’m constantly tempted to fall back into this habit. When I’m around this sort of behavior—around those who “make a religion out of their own whims and lusts,”¹—I’m drawn into this darkness. The magnetic pull of worldliness overpowers my moral compass. I become disoriented, no longer sure of where true north is, and lose my way. Most recovering addicts try to stay away from environments that may trigger a relapse. Similarly, it’s best for me to steer clear of certain toxic environments.

I have found wonderful hiding places that allow me to get away from the herd—spaces in nature that call me to adore a power beyond worldly values, beyond my own whims and lusts, beyond the dead-end, empty-headed life I grew up in.   

¹(Jude 1:17-19 MSG)