The other day, I spoke with a Christian man that many perceive as a strong man of God. He’s been very active in the community and in his church; and for some, he’s looked upon as very dependable and a pillar of both. However, he told me that he’s reverting to those old ways, what the bible refers to as the ‘old man nature’. He says he is very tempted by the things that once captivated him as a young man, before he had acquired the knowledge of God’s Word. He’s hanging out more with his old college buddies and drinking more than usual. He said he had been through some rough times in the last few months and felt like he was being attacked spiritually. He feels like God has forgotten about him.
Sometimes believers come to a point of struggling with trusting God and His Word. We can become very dissatisfied with life and our place within it. And the thing about this is that you hardly ever see it coming, and you really can’t pinpoint exactly what the issue is. You’re just not happy and nowhere near where you’d thought you’d be. A person can be surrounded with people that care about them, and still feel lost in their individual journeys.
One of the very first characteristics that we learn about Heavenly Father is that He is a God of order; He loves order, and everything He does has a divine order to it. This really is foundational, and if we overlook it or lose it in our approach to our own lives, we end up with confusion, which is where this brother I mentioned was. God tells us in 1Corinthians 14:33 that He’s not the author or orchestrator of confusion, but of peace. So any time we’re experiencing ambivalence, coolness, or lukewarm-ness in our walk, it’s possible that we’re approaching a promotion in the Lord, but lacking some key pieces of knowledge that will help us navigate the way forward. God will provide, but it is imperative we stay the course of our faith and continue to seek Him through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Obedience is the central theme of the believer’s walk. Obedience is also paramount to our foundation of faith, because sometimes you and I don’t or can’t understand how all the pieces fit together. We don’t know the order of things as it pertains to how God is orchestrating our release and victory. It is very possible that all the steps will not be revealed to us at one time. Obedience is the essential component because it keeps us solid and steady during the times of not knowing and seeing how God is moving on our behalf. Obedience to God’s Word cements the proving of our faith during these times, because obedience is evidence that we’re not surrendering the fight even though we’re not feeling great.
The transition between your current level of faith and an elevated level of faith is often when you’ll be tested and tempted by the devil the most. God challenges us to shift our focus away from ourselves during these periods. We are to get our minds off what we don’t have and become extremely thankful for what He has already blessed us with. Our ambivalence or lukewarm-ness is really just expanded capacity in the making. Some stuff is coming to the surface in order to make room for the new things God has in store. The ‘old man nature’ still has cousins left behind, and they want some attention. Our thankfulness to God for all He’s blessed us with cancels the volume on that old stuff.
But thankfulness to God in the middle of a tough time can’t be viewed as a temporary fix. Heavenly Father wants us to make this a permanent fixture. It has to be the practice of your Christian discipline. You must commit to erasing that path that leads you to feelings of dissatisfaction, and instead, choose as your ‘go-to’ those thoughts that lead you to feelings of being thankful to God.
Heavenly Father will never forget about you. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 6:26(NLT), “Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?” You are more important to God than you can ever really comprehend. He has not left you; He is leading you. God tells us in 1Thessalonians 5:23 that our human-spirit, soul, and body are to be kept blameless. All parts must work together. It isn’t enough that we bring the spirit and soul, but not make sure the body is carrying forth what has been deposited by God as well.
It is never only about what is going on with us emotionally or mentally. We must function at a higher spiritual level and this means that we’ve got to step outside the boundaries of business as usual. We must learn to maneuver supernaturally so that the victory of Christ is manifested in the natural. This is where the Spirit is leading us. It’s a time to press into God, because He is teaching you to function according to His plans, not your own.
So, remember, He has not abandoned you. Quite the contrary, He is elevating you. And it is incredibly important that we don’t give in to the temptation to check-out during unsettled periods. Promotion and elevation are near. We should allow God the space to teach us how to exercise Christ-authority, for He is empowering us to change things in our lives and to also exercise His power within the assignments we are given. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“God Will Never Forget About You” written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.