When Obedience Leads You Into the Fire
I have a friend and she has this concern of God not protecting her from pain. It is a rational fear to have as a human. We live in a world where society pushes us to self-preserve by any means necessary and to do whatever it is that makes us happy. If someone does not align with your ideals or is causing you anxiety and turmoil, cut them out of your life and block them. “Your happiness and comfort should be priority over all things and all people.” So then people become “Christians”, but under the delusion (and false gospel) that all their problems will melt away, they will always be happy, and God will protect them from pain and sorrow. Well, for those of us embarking on the real Truth of the Christian walk towards sanctification, we know this to not be the truth of how we are called to live. On the contrary, Jesus promises us that we will have “trouble in this world” (John 16:33), we will suffer and be hated because of Jesus (Matthew 10:22) and that we are to deny our flesh and take up a daily cross (Matthew 16:24). Oh yes, there will be turmoil, and my friends, this is us doing the Christian walk right! Definitely not a selling point for those who demand control over their own lives and seek to write their own narratives.
But I am learning something: the difference between being attacked by the enemy and being led into the fire by the Holy Spirit through obedience. I am in a season of my life where I am involved in many activities, and it is mentally and physically exhausting to say the least. With so many things to do all at once, all requiring my full mental and emotional energy (while also seeking to complete with holy integrity that honors God), they have full capacity to drain me for all that I have. Friends and family encourage me, support me and suggests, “Well maybe you should see about stopping one thing so that you don’t burn yourself out,” valid suggestion, but you see, I was led here by the Holy Spirit so I can’t stop. Jesus was “led by the Holy Spirit” into the wilderness to be tempted (Matthew 4:1), and there was a refining and emphasis on who we ask and lean on to sustain us and keep us. For a man who was the embodiment of God, spiritually, Jesus had all He needed but as human, during this tempting, He lacked something all humans need: food and water, making him very weak, vulnerable and susceptible. His obedience to The Father led him to this fast that resulted in this weakness. His obedience led him to the Cross to be crucified.
Obedience leads us to the wilderness.
During my time here in fire, I do feel as though I am on the verge of a physical and mental burnout, almost daily, but I keep going because I know the truth of who led me here and I trust Him and His goodness towards me. The Holy Spirit led me to this fire, so I know two things:
1) He will keep and sustain me through it and
2) It is temporary
When I am having days that are harder than others, as with Jesus, the enemy comes to sneak thoughts into my mind (and my dreams) to deter me from proceeding forward and to cope by resorting back to old patterns and habits. But I can look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith (Hebrews 12:2) and be reminded of God’s goodness to His children and promise of deliverance, that joy set before us.
Discerning the truth behind, “Why are times so hard right now? Why do I feel so beaten down?” can be a defining moment between life and death. We want to believe it is the enemy that has us in this weary season through his attacks, but what if it isn’t? What if it is God who led us here for the fulfillment and glory of His word to be manifested through our testimony? Will this change how you proceed and hang on? Will it empower you to keep going with holy integrity or will you wither and fall away (Matthew 13:18-23). The understanding that comes with the trust of knowing that God led us to this season, provides us with an advantage that our spirit will be protected, kept and sustained by the One who started this good work in us. The enemy may come with his, “Are you sure…” questions that we see from Eden to plant doubt and convince us to quit, “Surely God wouldn’t want you to feel this way,” but why wouldn’t He? If He put His son through trials and tribulations that led to pain, why wouldn’t He do the same with us.
Our walk is about holiness, not happiness.
This is to not deter you from the goodness and beauty of our faith, but to wake us up to its truth, the other side of our faith, the suffering and sanctifying side that tends to get lost in the prosperity talk. God’s ways are higher than ours, His thoughts greater, which includes His perspective and thoughts towards what we need to build us in our faith, strengthen our relationship with Him, deepen our love for Him and sanctify us to be more like His son so that we will be with Him in glory. Which is the goal isn’t it, to be with Him in Heaven. And we know by the Word of God, that no one can get to the Father except through the Son, for He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).
