Nike - Just Do It

Some kids don't try in school. Why not? Sure, some people are more serious about it than others, and that's fine. I realize that not everyone is OCD about learning like I was/am. But why don't they try at all? How can they just sit in class never doing work and failing everything? Or, how can someone barely try at all and barely pass when he or she could do so much better? I just don't get it.

If you're in school right now, then actually do your work and learn something. God calls us to try our best with whatever is put in front of us. If you just coast through and don't try, you're defeating the purpose and hurting yourself, your future, and even those around you. God hasn't called us to coast—He's called us to give life our best shot. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

I've realized that this disturbing apathy stretches into other areas of life, too. It seems like no one is really passionate anymore. We Americans just want our fast food, TV, and modern conveniences, and we don't want to work for anything or actually think for ourselves. Whatever happened to setting goals and working for them?

Anything worth having requires work. Life isn't going to just hand you everything on a silver platter, and if it has been that way for you, then it won't always be. It seems like people are okay with moderately trying and then just accepting whatever the result is. People have jobs they hate for years just because they're afraid to try anything else. People don't reach out to others because they have hung out with the same friends for years. They don't ask questions, look for options, break the mold, actually try.

Okay, I get it. Some people are super chill, and not everyone wakes up in the morning thinking about how they're going to get one step closer to taking over the world today. But would it kill you to put some effort into your life? Probably not. We all have some stuff we hate doing. It's easy to watch TV instead of studying that boring economics material. It's easier to ignore people who tick us off instead of being nice to them. It's easier to read a book instead of writing one. Easier to sit back and watch the world turn instead of changing it.

This is something I've been thinking about a lot as I get older. I only have three semesters of college left. How have I used my time? How have I used the resources God has given me? When I get to the end of my life, I want to know that I've taken every opportunity I should have and worked like I should have instead of turning away from what God had for me. I hate it when people make fun of the saying, "Life is short," by saying, "That's so stupid—what's longer than life?" Well, eternity is. We only have a short time to make a difference in this world, so don't waste it.

Philippians 3:14 says, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." That doesn't sound like an easy journey. But just because it's not simple doesn't mean you should give up. If you don't play, you can never lose. But you'll also never win. If Jesus had given up because His life journey and subsequent death on the cross was inconvenient or unpleasant, where would I be?

I would have no hope or future.

I also understand the wisdom in sitting back and seeing what God is up to. It's good to have goals and plans, but God's plans are always better than ours, so listening for His voice and following His plans is always the best course of action to take.

So be like Nike, and just do it. Take a chance, go the extra mile, and put some effort into your life. You won't regret it.