This is scary. Opening up and telling people about
who you are, what you believe in, what you’re concerned about, and what you’re
passionate over. You would think I would be more comfortable doing this since I
actually do it a lot. I teach Bible Studies and speak in front of groups. But it’s
not my comfort zone. At all. Writing is easier for me. I do it alone and on my
own schedule. I can throw away what I don’t like or keep what I do.
Following Jesus isn’t always easy or comfortable. I wake up every day and purpose myself to follow Him. I believe in Rick Warren's purpose-driven life, but I have also endorsed Jason Benham’s stand,
“We follow a
Person-driven life. We let the Person of God take control of the purpose.” This grounds me further.
A Person-driven life keeps me focused on God.
Sometimes my eyes fall to the right or left, and I let the world slip in and cloud
my vision. Oftentimes I run into questions or situations that I don’t have
answers for. There are days I just struggle for no apparent reason or for an
accumulation of reasons. But, I’m learning that’s okay. It keeps me headed back
to the Person-driven focus, to reading Scripture, and getting on my knees. I’m
learning to trust that when I slide down the wrong side of the mountain, God
will pick me up, dust me off, and point me toward the craggy end of the narrow
path, the one I’ve skidded down so many times the base is rutted out. I never feel
God's wrath over my struggle. I only feel His love. That’s the beauty of our faith. God loves us so much, even when we fail.
Picking yourself up is always an effort. Effort builds
endurance. And trust. And intimacy. With perfect precision and timing. I notice
I get up quicker now. I rush back to the start line with a sharper
determination, realizing the pitfalls, and Satan’s taunting lures. Standing
there with a lot of other folks is perfect joy. We’re running with one another,
but not in a competition. We’re running to be encouragers and enablers to the
whole assembly of Christ followers. It’s staggering and amazing. It's what we're called to do. So, let me ask you something.
What takes your mind off Christ?My answer: Busyness. Filling up the calendar without blocking out time to worship.
What causes you to slip?
My
answer: Allowing Satan to drudge up my insecurities.
What's your answer?