Struglyfe

I have been struggling to write this update all weekend. Troy Sherman came to our school to speak on the Cost of Discipleship, and there was so much good and convicting info, I don't know where to start!

We spent the majority of the week dissecting 1 Corinthians 4. While the whole passage speaks to the best way to posture one's heart as a Christian, we only dissected the first five verses in five days time. I can't believe the depth the speaker was able to get to with each and every phrase in this chapter.

Once again, we focused on the importance of serving others more than what we traditionally focus on in "leadership." The world makes leadership look a lot like being a captain on a ship or the CEO of a corporation, but Jesus reminds us that the greatest among us in the Church is the greatest servant in our midst.

The fact is that while anybody can learn to be in charge of an organization or start a big project, God continually seeks out those who actively seek Him. His Word says that He looks for those that worship Him in spirit and in truth, and so it becomes apparent that the condition of our hearts trumps accomplishment or position any day of the week.

For if we accomplish big things in His Name, but don't truly know Him, what is the point? To what end are our achievements without pure motives?

Thus, our "success" in Christianity is measured by how well we obey God, not in how many people attend a church we've founded or how many people come forward at an alter call or how many missions-based outreaches we pioneer.

And so our "heart condition" is everything in this life. Not only because that is what truly demonstrates our devotion to God, but also because those who are called to leadership also impact the lives and hearts of others.

Because many of us, myself included, understand this level of responsibility that comes hand-in-hand with leadership, we do our best to avoid being put in charge. Not only will our mistakes as leaders become public knowledge, they may cause others to fall as well.

But this past week we were encouraged to change our perspective from how many times we fall to how many times we get back up. As humans, we are bound to fail and mess up. But God's grace is what empowers us to keep going.

However, there are in fact times when we struggle not because we made a mistake, but simply because life is hard. We like to refer to these times as "Desert Seasons" or "Valleys" in our walks with God.

These seasons are basically times when it is difficult to see God, and it is difficult to know where the road leads. These times are when it is difficult to hold into good character and when it is a struggle to believe God is still there.

Times like losing a home, a loved one, or a job. A time where you see a dream die out, or you deal with disappointment of some kind.

But what if you are only as "Christian" as you are in you "Valley" experiences? 

It is easy to hold onto faith at a summer camp or a Christian conference or in a YWAM program. But how do you behave when you lose sight of everything The Lord once revealed to you when you were at a "spiritual high?"

The true test of faith comes when all looks dark. Faith is proven in times of trouble, heartache, and pain more than when everything is "fun and fancy free."

I write this not to be depressing, or to make you feel like you're not even a Christian, but to encourage you to be aware of the state of your heart in the most challenging of circumstance. The ultimate test is not so much getting over the hard things as much as it is about the state of your heart when working through trials.

Do you seek God just as much in the hard times as the good? Or is it more? Less?

If you are finding yourself IN such a trying time, don't give up! Keep pushing through and seeking the Light. 

For me, it sometimes seems like the majority of my experiences are in valleys. That the "victorious mountaintops" are few and far between.

Perhaps I need to shift my perspective on life as a whole, but perhaps life really is just difficult. 

It is tempting to think during the rough times that God is not with me. That He left me on my own to just muddle through.

But then I remember that light shines brighter in the darkness. And that Christ came into the world to help us walk through our fallenness. 

He doesn't just want to rescue us out of darkness; He wants to get us through it.

And so I hope and pray for faithfulness and hope to abound in good times and in bad. In sickness and in health. As long both as Jesus and I live.

And I pray the same over you.