I’m going to share a very unpopular opinion with you. It’s unpopular in the religious mainframe of Christian society. It’s the lie we’ve allowed Satan to pervert into truth, carrying it like our own personal cross, feeling quite pious, like a modern day martyr of sorts. Somehow, along the way, day in and day out of our Christian lives, we’ve become convinced that it’s supposed to be hard. We even quote scripture of such.
The Bible says “in this world we’ll have trouble!”
We just forget the rest. We gloss over “but take heart, I have overcome the world (John 16:33).
We forget that since Jesus overcame the world, and as believers Jesus lives in us, that we too have overcome the world. We don’t have to live defeated, but can walk in freedom and victory through His spirit that resides within us.
Have you hit a brick wall where you’re at? Does it seem like no matter how hard you try, things just stay the same? If you keep banging your head against the wall, maybe it’s time to turn around and go in the opposite direction.
It’s easy to become stuck in a place that’s comfortable, even if that comfort is stifling or painful. It’s easier to just stay put than venture into the unknown. We accept our difficulties as normal, our hardship as our lot in life, never acknowledging the fact that God is trying to move you from the muck and mire to some place new. We remain in a bad situation because we’re afraid of change, and we tell ourselves we’re persevering like a good Christian. I wonder if God isn’t allowing the vise to tighten so we’ll break loose of the chains that have always kept us bound.
I believe that God has a plan for each and every one of us, but we miss the call to jump into the deep end. We would rather stay in the comfort of the shallow, yet you only realize you can walk on water when you take that first step.
God still speaks. He still leads. He still calls us to a complete dependence on Him. We are the ones who keep holding on to our own safety devices. It’s like we’re all the disciples in the boat. Jesus is there, but we’re too focused on the storm to see our Savior. We’re clinging to our boat to save us, yet we have complete access to the One who controls the wind and waves.
Instead, we stay stuck in our storms. We find comfort there! Sure, the torrential rain soaks us to the bone, but we stay put. We pull out our pitiful umbrellas to shield us. We seek shelter under our job security, our multiple insurance policies, or our reputation, yet all these can be blown away by the winds of change. I wonder, is God calling you to throw down your faltering umbrella and find true security under His wings?
To follow Jesus into the deep end means leaving the safety of the shore. It means letting go of the comfortable in exchange for His perfect protection and provision. It means saying no to the lies that say life must always be full of struggle and strife. The reason we fight to keep our head above the water is because we forget to cling to the One who calms the storms.
Our security isn’t in our boat, and we will never experience what the Lord has for us if we stay there.
So, here’s your reminder. Here’s your word for the day, your sign, if you will.
God is saying, “oh, you of little faith,” come to me. Come into the deep end. Leave the safety of familiar shores. Don’t put your trust in horses and chariots, but instead trust me to fight your battles. Trust me for your protection, trust me for your provision. Stop trying to plug up the holes in your same old boat and abandon ship. I am doing a new thing. If everything seems like a battle, it’s because I’m leading you to new depths with me.