when i was talking to a friend last night about fasting i had a thought i am sure is not original, but thought it was worth sharing.
if you start with 'the' reason, you should move forward, even if 'a' reason clouds your decision. okay, so that sounds somewhat cryptic, so let me explain.
our conversation had to do with fasting and how he had decided many times to fast for a while to get closer to God, but then after making up his mind, he would think something like, "hey, i'll probably lose some weight too." so after he had this thought, he decided not to fast so he wouldn't be fasting with the wrong motives.
'a' reason to fast was to lose weight, but 'the' reason to fast was to get closer to God and to hear His voice more clearly. he started with the right reason, but let 'a' reason that got added on like an amendment to a bill change his mind.
how often to do we start with 'the' reason to do something and let 'a' reason keep us from following through? admittedly, following through with most things is difficult, and sometimes it is the exception to the rule that we actually start with the right motivation for many decisions we make, but when you do miraculously begin on the right footing, with 'the' reason, don't let any other singular reasons keep you from going for it. whether it is fasting or jogging.
i think it is safe to say that the more often you start with 'the' reason and actually follow through, the easier it will be to discern when 'a' reason is just trying to distract you.
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