Have you ever noticed how easy it is to sit in Sunday’s sermon or read your Bible fully agreeing with what you hear or read? We agree whole-heartedly with the truths being shared. We embrace it with enthusiasm. We feel good about it, excited with what God has revealed to our hearts. It is like doing a flyover at 30,000 feet. We can see for miles and can see being changed by these truths. This is change envisioned; change in theory.
But then…
Life happens.
Somehow our enthusiasm disappears like a mist because change is difficult, especially when it requires smashing some long-practiced habits. Anybody with me?
Rather than being in a plane at 30,000 feet, application of these truths actually happens down in the jungle where we have to navigate around trees and ground cover and ward off animals and snakes.
Change envisioned at 30,000 requires no effort on our part – the plane is doing all the work. That is not actually change. Navigating the jungle requires intention and attention. It requires obeying the truths we learned. Obedience requires saying no to those long-practiced habits, saying no to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. [For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 1 John 2:16]
Obedience requires saying no to self and yes to God. That is a lot easier at 30,000 feet than in the Jungle.
But…
We are not on our own. God hasn’t thrown us in the jungle to figure it out on our own. He has given us His Son who dwells in every believer. [I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20] By faith we can trust that Jesus will obey Father through us as we yield to His resurrection power.
I know this is true but I still struggle in the Jungle. Like Paul said, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Philippians 3:12
May we all press on to move from change envisioned to change in reality as we yield to the Christ Life within.
Blessings,
Diane
Written By Diane Hunt: Diane Hunt serves on the board of America’s Keswick and provides ministry support from her home in North Carolina. She is also a biblical counselor and women’s event speaker. For more information about having Diane speak at your next event please contact her at dhunt@americaskeswick.org.
Think About This: “Discipleship is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if He were you.” – Dallas Willard
The Daily Bible Reading: Reflection | You can download our 2021 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here.
