If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire: if you want to be wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them.| C.S. Lewis
This week, a hundred or so of my brothers, sisters, and I set out on a year-long journey to know God in a deeper, more complete way. A commitment, to ourselves, to each other, to our church body, to the Lord. We began “boot camp” this week and the information is coming at us like a fire hydrant. It’s no small thing. In fact, the enemy is probably already working overtime to try and convince us to quit, that whatever we’re going after isn’t really significant. At least, it’s safe to say, he’s already tried with me.
If you’re finding yourself at the beginning of something hard, if you’re finding yourself questioning if it’s really meant for you, if you’re finding that you want to give up, maybe these reminders will encourage you.
- The One who called you into it, will carry you, strengthen you, nourish you. Fix your eyes on Him. Set your heart on His ways.
- A pilgrimage is not meant to be completed in one step. Small, intentional steps are not failure. With intention, small steps will lead you to the destination. If you feel overwhelmed and frenetic, slow down. Pace yourself. Begin again. Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin (Zechariah 4:10 NLT)
- You will want to quit. At some point, it won’t seem to be worth it. It is. At some point, you’ll feel like you aren’t enough. You aren’t. But if you want to be warm, you come nearer to the fire. Remind yourself of warmth, living water, joy, power, peace, eternal life; better yet, ask the Spirit to remind you.
- Not by your own might or strength, but by the Spirit. It will feel slippery at times. It will feel unstable. Let the Spirit carry, let the Spirit lead. Happy are the people whose strength is in Him, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. (Psalms 84:5 CSB)
- Refining requires pressing. It’s uncomfortable. And in the process, we may want to turn away before we’ve actually begun. Don’t. God chose you for the refining, for the ministry, for His Kingdom. Press in. “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11 ESV)
- Transformation into the image and likeness of Christ takes place every time we earnestly choose to abide in Jesus and permit Him to abide in us. Sitting with Him, remaining in Him, returning to Him, this is the necessary thing. Abiding in Jesus is an invitation to grow and thrive and bear eternal fruit. Abiding in Jesus is an invitation to experience His companionship, to know Him more deeply, and to trust Him more intimately. When we return to Jesus, commit to Jesus, and permit Him to abide in us, He will be faithful to strengthen us to produce eternal fruit in and through us. Return to Him.