“Forward, across, forward, back. Forward, across, forward, back.” instructs our Sunday School teacher the kids as they are getting ready to learn the Irish dance to the music of a very jolly Christmas carol ‘Ding, dong”.
As the kids were bouncing back and forth more or less to the right moves, they always ended up at the starting point.
It made me think. How often in our ‘dance’ with Christ we feel like we step more backward than forward ending up either at the starting line, or even worse we step so much backward, we’re close to falling off the stage?
The message about Christians needing to be daily growing in Christ is something we often are challenged about. Preachers preach it. Singers sing it. Sunday School teachers teach it. But, what is our ‘response to a stagnant, or backward walk with Christ?
Passing the buck
Some blame God and are unhappy with the way He does things.
When God doesn’t answer our prayer, we doubt His faithfulness.
When God has a different plan than ours, we question His love.
When God allows tragedies in our life, we dispute His sovereignty.
When God lets us taste the consequence of our own sin, we say He’s not gracious enough.
With these in mind, we get disappointed with God and we stop moving forward in our growth.
Finding comfort in excuses
Some find plausible excuses people can nod to in agreement.
It’s my personality. “I am not arrogant. This is just who I am.”
“It’s my circumstances. “I didn’t use to be bitter and snippy. My rough marriage made me like this.”
It’s my geographic location. “If I could only live in ‘Dreamland’. I would have a fresh start, and I would do things differently.”
It’s my finances. “When I will have a better financial report, I will tithe and give to the poor. Not now.”
It’s today’s culture. “It’s different than Bible times. Today it’s okay to live together before you’re married. Christians don’t frown upon it as much.”
It’s others. “I’m not overeating. I am just mad.”
Simply getting discouraged
Some are stuck, like in a mud slime, because their steps are weary. Their difficult life is weighing so heavy on them, they can’t seem to even budge, let alone prance with joy.
I am fascinated by Joseph’s example. He had a very bumpy life. He was in today’s terms ‘human trafficked’ by his brothers, he was separated from his loving father, he was accused of adultery by someone with title, he was imprisoned without being proven guilty. ‘So unfair!’ as my girls way too often say.
In all these, Joseph feared God more than the painful circumstances. “But the LORD was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer.” Genesis 39:21 (If I were Joseph. I would have complained I even met the jailor, rather than see God’s presence in all these scary circumstances.)
I don’t know if Joseph had a friend to give him a pep talk. I surely need one from time to time. This is what my husband told me one day as he declined my invitation to my ‘pity party’:
“Sweetheart, in life you can dig or you can climb. You can dig your pity party into the ground, allowing room for the depression to settle in, making it hard to recover from. Or, you can slowly, but steadily climb high one day at a time, one step in front of the other. You don’t need giant leaps. Just one step at a time.”
I’m having to learn that in certain seasons of life, small steps forward is al you need to do. Some days I may not feel like I have been completely victorious as I expect of myself, but I rely on His grace not my perfection. As I was challenged in a church retreat once “Sometimes we need to be okay with a two degree progress. Because over time the two degree angle expands significantly. Take courage in that.”
We may not feel empowered to conquer the world, but God will give us just enough to deal with today. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34
In Conclusion
Stop blaming God for your being stuck. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
Stop finding excuses for your lack of growth. “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” 2 Timothy 4:3
Stop licking your wounds. Stand up, wash your face, put on your finest clothes and get busy living for Jesus. That’s what king David had to do after his son died. And God blessed his response.
“Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.” 2 Samuel 12:20
“Forward, across, forward, forward. Forward, across, forward, forward.” These should be our new jolly steps in our Irish dance with Christ.
Meditate and memorize: Galatians 5:25
“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ” Galatians 5:25