Muddy Faith
At some point, we all find ourselves at the end of something. The end of a good book, the end of a big project, or the end of a vacation... (That final example is all too personal right now as tomorrow, sadly will be the final day of my spring break. Yikes!) Usually, such conclusions are accompanied by an important question: What next?
The key here is to not get caught in the transition. It's why I can spend hours packing for a weekend trip. Choose my clothes, stare at them for ten minutes, put them in my bag, stare at it for fifteen minutes, get my toiletries, stare at them for five minutes, and so on and so forth.
It is one thing to spend a few extra hours than necessary packing, and it is another to waste away months or even years of your life because you get stuck in the transition. It is here, in the time between concluding one thing and starting the next, that I fear so many Christians find themselves wandering for far too long.
When I look back at my walk with God, I think of the verses "lying down in green pastures" and "led beside still waters." Then I think of a 5K mud run. Honestly the latter comparison seems more accurate. There have certainly been peaceful moments, but my daily walk with God is, more often than not... messy.
Some of the hardest times of transition I have faced come after mountain top experiences. The far side of the hill is usually a slippery slope, covered in mud. Most Christian's have experienced this feeling: the desire to change because of something God has placed on their heart, the fear that things will return to the way they've always been, and... too often... disappointment when they do.
So, then, what do we do when we've come face to face with God? Where do we go from there? Is our only option down? We can't stay on the mountain top, but we can grow no matter where we are. As Paul writes to the church in Colossae, "Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness" (Colossians 3:6-7).
As your making your way down the muddy, rain-drenched side of the mountain that is daily life, just remember that it takes rain to make things grow. You may remember the exact moment that you made the decision to change, but in truth, the process of changing is what actually brings you closer to God. The truth is that it doesn't matter whether your on the mountain top, headed up, or going down. What matters is that you are making progress on the path towards God.
The key here is to not get caught in the transition. It's why I can spend hours packing for a weekend trip. Choose my clothes, stare at them for ten minutes, put them in my bag, stare at it for fifteen minutes, get my toiletries, stare at them for five minutes, and so on and so forth.
It is one thing to spend a few extra hours than necessary packing, and it is another to waste away months or even years of your life because you get stuck in the transition. It is here, in the time between concluding one thing and starting the next, that I fear so many Christians find themselves wandering for far too long.
When I look back at my walk with God, I think of the verses "lying down in green pastures" and "led beside still waters." Then I think of a 5K mud run. Honestly the latter comparison seems more accurate. There have certainly been peaceful moments, but my daily walk with God is, more often than not... messy.
Some of the hardest times of transition I have faced come after mountain top experiences. The far side of the hill is usually a slippery slope, covered in mud. Most Christian's have experienced this feeling: the desire to change because of something God has placed on their heart, the fear that things will return to the way they've always been, and... too often... disappointment when they do.
So, then, what do we do when we've come face to face with God? Where do we go from there? Is our only option down? We can't stay on the mountain top, but we can grow no matter where we are. As Paul writes to the church in Colossae, "Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness" (Colossians 3:6-7).
As your making your way down the muddy, rain-drenched side of the mountain that is daily life, just remember that it takes rain to make things grow. You may remember the exact moment that you made the decision to change, but in truth, the process of changing is what actually brings you closer to God. The truth is that it doesn't matter whether your on the mountain top, headed up, or going down. What matters is that you are making progress on the path towards God.
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