When Fear Keeps You Stagnant.

Ever been over your head?  In too deep?  Struggling with the reality that you can’t do it all?  Can’t go where God is leading?

Like swimming up a waterfall, toward the current, constantly carrying us towards apathy, complacency.

After all, isn’t it comforting to be able to wrap our arms around our lives? To carry God around in our pockets; with our change, our keys, our phone’s connecting to the internet?

Isn’t it easy just to dial up God when we need Him…than to actually listen, wait, and trust we are in submission, obedience, under His Lordship?

Yet the reality is, we are His servants….God is not ours.

Yet, as I count the cost.  Weigh the reality of leaving it all and following Him.  I mean, deep down, in my heart of hearts…

I open scripture.  Scripture always so faithfully bypassing my feelings, my desires, my man-made instincts.

Without it I’d be lost.  Without it, I would make up my own God.  Tuck Him safely in my pocket.  Then, go about my day feeling good about myself.

But, God want’s more.  I know that.  He wants intimate, true relationship with us.  He wants to challenge us, to delve deeper into His character.  To live out of obedience, not following our feel good, delusional human formed instincts.

He wants to bless us.  And the reality is, often blessings come out of obedience….not because we sit passively and wish vain-fully upon some star.

And there in scripture Paul addresses my sin nature…

“I, by good works of obedience will show you my faith.”  James 2:18  And I get that.  Not works driven from fun, flattery, or even looking good to ourselves or others….but from obedience.

17 “So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience not backing it) by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).”

And isn’t that what we are fighting against as believers?  Death?  Isn’t the “living” what we are warring for, deep in our souls.  The standing up, shaking off the dust, and treading on….whatever trials might come our way?

Isn’t faith rising, because we see a substance of things hoped for, a way of living…that defies death, defies the cascading falls before us, defies the reality of present day people….calling us to live within the norm.

Aren’t we created for more?  Not to sit silently by as people, the world, we begin to die?  But to live….I mean, really live a life worthy of His calling on our life?

Yet, I…I will admit.  I too often relax and isolate, tucking the word, “obedience” into my corner of my mind.  Saying I am living, saying I have faith….while really hiding from what He has.  Because I am scared.

Still our heritage as believers is not to fear.  We are called to drive out giants, slay Goliaths, rise and walk seven times around the territory of His promises.

So, will we rise and “go”?  Will I?

I read on…

14″What is the profit….for anyone to profess to have faith if he has no good works to show for it?”

Be not simply hearers….but doers of the Word.

I stand.  Take a breathe.  Get ready to tackle these giant steps of faith God has put in front of me.

And it is then, I read…

“External religious worship that is pure in the sight of God is this…Visit.  Help. Care for the orphan.”

One more confirmation.

I take God out of my pocket. Give Him freedom.  Shrink in the light of His reality.  His love drawing my heart to obedience.

And forget that I don’t know how to swim.  Embracing that I am but an infant, also needing the arms of my father because I am not capable of walking without Him.  Loosing sight of the fact that as believers we “need” to do that…”need” to do this….”need” to do anything.

And it is in this non-existence.  This losing sight of self.  This wholehearted devotion to a God so big, a God who takes care of all the details….That I lose myself. Wholeheartedly, utterly lose myself in His worship.

And it’s in worship, I rest from all my worry.  Forget that I am anything.  We are free to “do”….free to swim upstream….

Because He is the water source.  Closer to the flow where real waters stream.  Fresh.  Free. Without hindrances of weight.

Despising downstream water contaminated.  Where water trickles.  Eventually running dry….because it’s following the crevasses of the earth…

Instead of trusting solely on…

His wellspring of life.

(Linking with Emily, Winsome Wednesday, Tracy)