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May 12, 2022

 

I am pretty sure I have shared my thoughts in the past regarding how often when we read the bible, it is easy for us to forget that the folks we read about were human, just like us. That while we know the outcome of their stories, they did not. It took trust for Mary to say, “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your work” (Luke 1:38). It took faith for the woman to stretch out her hand and touch the hem of His robe in hopes of healing as we see in the book of Matthew chapter 9. It took commitment for Abraham to uproot his entire family and go where the Lord led. Their journeys (and others) brought about favor from God and depth of spirit that we aspire to follow. After all, who wouldn’t want to be part of the Hebrew’s Hall of fame (see chapter 11)? But I wonder, would we ask for their miracles if we first recognized what necessitated them or the price they paid? We see miracles, signs, and wonders taking place and we forget that they had to act, trust, obey, and take a step before any of that happened and they had to remain faithful through all of life’s ups and downs to continue to see “these things and greater” (John 14:12). It wasn’t all miracles and obvious blessings to them.

 

In our world of digital profiles and stories, it is just as easy to get caught in the trap of thinking that others are living out their journey of faith with ease and in stride. In fact, we even get caught up in portraying as though that is the case by feeding the world our highlight reel. Don’t get me wrong, there are many thin lines we tread when it comes to authenticity as believers. We want to inspire hope. We want to show others what it looks like to be as Paul was in Philippians 4:11, “content regardless of the state.” We don’t want to be whiney or guilty of moaning and groaning and, if we are honest, we probably have our share of internal disfunctions and struggles that cause us to feel a need to portray perfection, but at the end of the day we don’t always serve others by not also sharing some of the clawing and climbing that comes when scaling the mountain.

 

It wasn’t easy for us to leave homes that we had spent years settling into. It wasn’t easy to uproot and put miles and time between us and those we had become comfortable walking it out with on a daily basis. It isn’t easy for us to all live under one roof; adult children once again living with parents, young families or singles being subjected to the eye of their “elders” without much reprieve while the elders who had become accustomed to a second season kind of life are now thrust back into the realm of diapers, toys, and constant noise. While I believe we would all say it is worth it and that the trade off tips the scale to the side of highly blessed and favored, the fact is that there are sacrifices made (almost daily) by all of us. It is the cost of the call, and it isn’t always a minor fee, sometimes it involves a bit of a hefty price, but it is Who is calling that makes the matters worth it. If indeed we have our “eyes fixed upon Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2) then even the sacrifices will begin to seem miniscule as they pale in comparison to the growth in and closeness of our relationship with Jesus.

 

Thing is though, we have an enemy who wants to keep us blinded to such truths and will work us in whatever way he knows works best. For some of us that means dangling “opportunities” before us that would take us off the path God has laid out or, if we’re not careful with our heart and vision for why we choose to deny, will lend themselves to martyrdom of spirit. For others, it may be relational. The return of, or clinging to, someone whom God is trying to show us shouldn’t be placed above Him. For someone else it might be fear: fear of death, fear of another’s death, fear of illness, fear of failing, fear of looking foolish, fear of whatever, whatever, whatever, and sometimes maybe it isn’t anything of those things. Sometimes, maybe it is just having to accept God has a plan even though it isn’t the way we want it to be and through no fault (or maybe even some fault) of our own. Sometimes it may be just accepting. My point is, that we all have our own places where God is desiring to do a work that, ultimately, will lead to greater peace, greater freedom, greater wholeness, but getting there will require that we choose to.  Choose to face fear, choose to trust even when we can’t see, choose to accept that God is good, and His will is perfect even when it seems unfair and hurts like hell. Choose to choose God above all else; above comfort, above any other, above all and - as we say in the world of AVID – all means all.

 

I know what it feels like to stand on the mountain and see so clearly the vision of God. To experience the awe within my spirit of having the unique opportunity to literally see God doing things that defy understanding or reason, and I know that these riches are worth far more than gold and yet somedays I am still tempted by gold. I also know that there is no greater fulfillment than that which comes from walking in your calling and seeing lives transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit as people are set free – including yourself and yet somedays I am still tempted toward ease and comfort, to say it’s too much work.

 

I can say without doubt that my spirit knows it is all worth it. I can also say that the further I go with God the more I realize just how blessed I truly am to even have the eyes to see that I am blessed, and I can say that such vision puts most sacrifices in their rightful place, as far smaller than the sacrifice He made for me, but it doesn’t shield us from the struggle. We know that, the bible tells us that, which is why it is so important that we learn to lift one another up in prayer. That we commit to be intercessors who will wrestle the forces of darkness on our knees for one another, that we be willing to pay the cost we are called to pay in order that others might come to know Him better, and the truth is that if we aspire to be like Mary, or Abraham, or Paul, or Peter, or whoever it is that propels our faith forward – in fact let’s just bring it home this way – if we want to be like Jesus, we have to be willing to pay the cost.

 

I recognize that nothing I have been asked to sacrifice goes beyond that of mere comfort, and I also recognize the fact that that is not the case for all of you. Some of you have sacrificed painfully and the cost has been high. I want you to know, Jesus knows that. He gets it. He gets the hurt, the pain, and even the anger. He understands and every single tear you’ve cried has been stored in a golden bowl in heaven and one day that pain will be redeemed. He promises to restore and make whole whether on this side of heaven or the next. So cling to your faith my friend and remember that in this world, “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 4:21) and that doesn’t just refer to gaining heaven it also refers to things we gain here on earth, even as we lay other things down.

 

~ Jen