Stimulation

We live in a day and age of great stimulation. When we are stimulated, we become “alive”, we “wake up”, we are “driven”. The forms of stimulation around us are plentiful. Television, computers, movies, iPod’s, smart phones, billboards, Facebook, YouTube etc. If it is not flashy, interesting in appearance or has some kind of connection with our desires, it just doesn’t get a response from us. For a 21st century guy, sitting in a stone building, on hard wooden benches, listening to a monotone preacher talk about the importance of Numbers and then singing songs which have no beat, no metal and no rhythm would be counter-stimulating. I would totally understand if he fell asleep and never remembered anything from the service…except for that pretty girl with the long curly hair, light brown eyes, slim figure and gentle smile, sitting across the isle.
Nowadays it takes good music, good preaching and a kick in the backside from the pastor to wake us up to do what we should be doing. Now, I don’t think stimulation is bad, or wrong or anything of the sorts, but Here’s the problem: most of our stimulation is external, at least for us young people.
We are to “…take every thought captive and make it obey Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5) and  “…let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind” (Rom. 12:2)
How can we call ourselves disciplined or committed Christians if we only do what we are externally stimulated to do? The problem with stimulation, for most of us like me, is that it is always coming from the outside. Until it comes from within us, we will be controlled by the world and whatever it drives us to do, rather than the inner stimulus of a life transformed by Christ and driven by the Holy Spirit.
With Christ in us, we will be driven to do things that make no sense to the outside world. Because our stimulus comes from within, from the the rock, the solid foundation that is Christ and not from the ever-changing, always increasing, never satisfying stimuli around us.