Finding Total Recovery in the Words of Christ, "It is Finished!"
Igniting Purpose and Power, One Page at a Time
Patience tells us that tests are only temporary. Patience tells us that God is doing a good work in us, and He will complete it. Patience tells us not to judge our walk by one random stumble. Patience keeps us steady as we wait for the storm to pass.
It is patience that we lack when we throw up our hands and give up. It is patience that we lack when we question our progress.
Patience will get us to the finish line. Patience will help us be gentle with ourselves.
Previously, these difficult times had been dark and made us doubt our relationship with God. We were frustrated to find Him so distant when we needed Him the most.
However, when we begin to view these events as a process which increases our patience and equips us for the next level, we start to see their value. We no longer need to feel frustrated when God goes silent. A good teacher is always silent during a test.
Thanks to the book of James (and our brother by the same name who shared this passage with us), we are learning to identify our spiritually ‘blah’ times as simple tests. These tests are challenging and exhausting, but they mark the completion of one level which advances us to the next.
****This is a Test. This is Only a Test.****
The times when we feel spiritually depleted or disinterested are not red flags for us to fret over. They are simply tests. The temporary times when we lack inspiration or get caught up in life’s drama have no bearing on our position in Christ or our commitment to His work.
We have come to understand that the testing of our faith can never happen during good times when inspiration flows freely, we are highly motivated, and praise songs play on a loop in our heads. Times of high spiritual energy and passion are thrilling, but they can’t do the work of generating patience. Only the testing of our faith can do that.
We love the mountaintops and the flowery meadows, but we must face the fact that dry deserts and muddy bogs are also part of the expedition. We must make peace with both if we want to get where we are going.
When the roads are easy, we feel joy in looking back to see how far we’ve come. When the roads are difficult, we seem to take one step forward, two steps back. Sometimes we slip and fall. Sometimes we just stand still and shrug. Even when we do finally get on firm footing again and start to move forward, we scold ourselves for not being stronger, more resilient, or more determined.
We aren’t sure what to call these moments of uncertainty. The term ‘backsliding’ is way too harsh. The last thing we need is to feel more isolated and cut off from God than we already do.
As we release our addictions with the words of Jesus, “It is finished!” and settle comfortably into our new normal, we feel gratitude beyond words. The dysfunctions we struggled with in the past are fading in the distance. We are on firm footing and making solid progress.
Sometimes we make really good progress and are pleased with the distance we cover in such a short time. We feel that our relationship with God is in great shape, and we are motivated by our sense of accomplishment.
At other times, however, we feel as if we were trudging through mud, putting one foot in front of the other, lacking any drive or inspiration. We feel inadequate, overwhelmed, and disinterested. During these times, we don’t feel so great about our relationship with God. We assume He is disappointed with our lack of energy and enthusiasm.
The power of God flows into each person like an electric current. For it to have an effect, there must be a conductor to draw it out. Our beliefs create the cord that connects us to the Source.
An electrical outlet by itself will not turn on a fan. The receptacle may hold the promise of power to run the fan, but if the cord is not plugged in, the current cannot flow.
Imagine the outlet as one of God’s promises found in scripture. The cord is our belief which connects us to the current. Sure, we can become shamelessly independent from time to time, using arrogance and aggression to empower ourselves, but in that frame of mind, we are turning the blades of the fan by spinning them with our fingers. It is neither efficient, nor productive.
Self-induced exhaustion is the result when we resist plugging in and letting the energy flow. We use our own manipulations and self-defense mechanisms, rather than just resting on the promises of a hopeful future because of God’s goodness.
We live under Grace, not Law. Jesus broke the power of the curse, so we can all live in the blessing if we choose to believe it. We need not fear the curse or the consequences of our own mistakes. Those issues have been resolved.
We are in a continual state of cleansing, like standing beneath a waterfall. Even a sin committed one second ago, is already washed away in the living water. We live exclusively in the blessings and enjoy firm standing on the promises. Curses do not cling to us. Blessings chase us down.
Group Discussion:
According to Philippians 4:19, God promises to meet all our needs. Not just physical and spiritual, but emotional as well. So, we must now ask ourselves, “What are some of my emotional needs?”
With all these needs, and many more, we realize how unfair it would be to ask another human to meet them. We think about all the times that we scroll through texts on our phones, looking for reassurance that we are worthy, needed, loved, approved, or any of the other emotional needs we have at the time.
Ironically, it seems a bit ridiculous that we place more hope in a text on our phone than in Sacred Text filled with the love of God. One connects us to other flawed humans; the other connects us to the Creator of the Universe who loves us dearly.
As we evaluate our unmet emotional needs and identify the ones which cause us the most pain, we ask the Holy Spirit to guide us to our truth.
Finding Total Recovery in the Words of Christ, "It is Finished!" 