Deeper faith
Something that I was never taught about when I was younger is the part that comes after salvation. There is such a focus on salvation, but little to no focus on what comes after that. Yes, salvation is the most beautiful gift in all the world, but what comes after that is critical! The journey does not end at salvation, but rather it just begins.
You know the parable of the seed falling and what soil it lands in? (Matthew 13). Ladies, we need to do what we can on our end to ensure that the seed in our hearts falls on good soil. How do we do this? Well, as scripture says in James we ensure that we are not just hearers of the word, but doers of the word. In western culture, we have been taught that saying a particular prayer is a one way ticket to heaven. Congrats, you made it! But scripture goes much deeper than that. Scripture tells us that only those who do the will of the Father will spend eternity with God (Matthew 7:21). I don’t know about y’all but this verse strikes some healthy fear into my heart!
Let’s go back to the parable about the soil for a minute. That parable also tells us that there are those who joyfully accept Christ, but then the cares of this world squelch them out. They allow the difficulties in life to take over. They allow hurt, pain, and sorrow to overrun the love and grace of God. How can this happen when someone has joyfully accepted Christ? Well, I believe there are different answers, but a significant part of this goes back to what scripture tells us in James. Are we being a doer of the word or are we only hearing the word and deceiving ourselves?
Let me just come out and say it….following Jesus takes work. Walking in the will of God for your life ensures that you will come across significant hurdles. You will face temptations. You will be engaged in a war. A war that you have victory in, but a war none the less. God has given us all we need to not only engage but also to win. He fills us with the power, abilities, wisdom and discernment we need to be successful at our particular assignments He gives us. But ladies, these assignments don't happen while we choose netflix every night. They do not get done while we choose to accept culture and desire the next best thing. They are not completed while we actively choose selfishness over the needs and cares of our families and those around us.
We start to see growth, fulfillment and joy at a whole new level when we finally surrender our reality, our views, our desires, to believing God and what He has spoken. To choosing to take on the hard work. To choosing to push through the battle. To refusing to give up despite attack after attack after attack.
So, today lets evaluate where this sits with us. Are we frustrated with a lack of results in our life? Is that lack of results from us not going deeper, not putting in the hard work, or is it simply not time yet? Do we need to muster up some patience for God's timing? Or are we trying to stubbornly force something that God is saying no to? Today, press in to Jesus. Be honest with Him. He already knows it all, but there is power in praying through things with Him, and laying out what is deep in your heart to Him. Take inventory of where your heart is, and what you can do to strengthen and deepen your faith in God.
