Indulgence is not necessarily honorable…

This past weekend the city of Cusco was celebrating a festival known as Inca Ramie (spelling?). Therefore we had Monday and Tuesday off from work. I met a Canadian at the volunteer site where I am currently working, and his name is Steven. Steven has a vivid personality with a live-all-I-can attitude before he actually leaves this dusty Earth. While I respect the freedom in such a personality, I myself cannot live for the thrill of a moment. Please do not misunderstand me. I get excited about exciting things, but my happiness does not hinge on the second of that thrill. I seek adventure. I seek fun. But I also seek things that are more concrete and perhaps more permanent, such as relationships with people or spiritual goals and accomplishments. Perhaps I have learned the difficult way that “partying hard” has its thrills in the intoxication of a moment, but when you wake up in the morning sick and vomiting, the next day can be a nightmare. In other words, the party hard life is not worth the costs to me that it has on my body.

We traveled to Nazca (famous for the Nazca lines), Ica (where you can go sand surfing in the middle of the desert), and Paracas (beautiful islands in the ocean where a variety of wildlife live). God spoke to me this past weekend. He reminded me of the man I want to be. I want to live a life that honorably glorifies God. Indulging in sin is temporary, but it is also lucrative and attractive in the pleasures that sin can bring. I witnessed people, including my Canadian mate, drowning in alcohol among other things. I must admit that I was tempted and affected by the environment of indulgence in Wacachinero (a natural Oasis just outside of Ica) where we stayed. It was kind of like a mini Cancun. Being tempted or affected by sin does not excuse the behaviors of sin. Sometimes we, as imperfect humans, need reminders of how to live an honorable life for God. We sin, and God reminds us of His Love and Grace when we approach him for forgiveness.

The trip zapped my energy level. I learned that sitting in a bus for forty hours is not exactly the most invigorating thing. Even though I was just sitting in one place really not doing anything, the experience made me very tired. Even though I was exhausted and even a little sick when I returned from Ica to Cusco, I was content with the trip because God reminded me that being a Christian and perhaps more specifically said, a missionary, necessitates an example to be set. The role of a missionary necessitates discipline to improve the world in a Godly manner. Sometimes indulgence can distract us from our mission (meaning our purpose in life or in my case, the real reasons for my trip). One might say it was a wakeup call to live honorably, to work honorably, to lead honorably, and so forth. We are all missionaries in the general sense of the word. You do not need to travel across the world to play the role of a missionary. Sometimes all you have to do is walk through your city of residence. If your heart is in the right place and if you take a little time to look around, you may be surprised with what you find. A mission of a moment may present itself.

I needed a reminder of God’s Will in my life, and this trip through observing the actions of others made me realize what direction I must now pursue to honor God and to live honorably in the pursuit towards God.