Challenges - Part 2

I Just Want Peace!

I just wanted God’s love, peace and joy in my life – not endless challenges for me to “rise-up” and do stuff. I find that pastors of churches are often on the look-out for unsuspecting victims of life’s hardships to fuel the religious machine which they have created.

Nowadays, my entire focus is on accepting myself, life and other people – just as they are. My entire focus now is on abiding in peace; anything that distracts me from this goal is something that I question and filter-out according to the message of grace. I don’t have to twist scripture in any way-shape-or-form in order to justify this belief. What I am talking about are solid, Biblical principles. It’s just that we’ve heard the Bible being preached from an Old-Testament, law perspective, for too long. We just need to learn enough, and suffer enough, in order to get there! It really is quite possible to become burnt-out on religion.

28 "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest.
29 Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.
30 Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
Matthew 11:28-30 MSG

What we need to hear being taught a lot more in churches is not just the need to, but the ability to, die to selfish ambitions, desires and motives; together with the need, and ability, to enter into rest. (See Heb. 4:11).

Challenges and Comfort Zones

Challenges have been seen as being a means of motivating people to come out of their comfort zone. Personally, I actually want teaching that brings me into a comfort zone! There is a different between a state of apathy and a state of peace: one is of the flesh and the other is of God. When a person is in a state of apathy, they have very little energy, confidence, motivation and wisdom to do anything. But when a person is resting in the love of God, and experiencing the peace that His love brings, and then he has all the power and ability that he needs to fulfil the calling of God on his life.

Apart from Him – I Can Do Nothing

With the teaching of God’s grace and the conclusion that I came to even before I’d even heard of Joseph Prince and his message of God’s unconditional grace, was that I can’t do anything in my own strength. Many people struggle to accept this concept, and I see that it has taken me years of anxiety, frustration and apathy to realise this. You wouldn’t believe the struggle and hardship I’ve been through just so that God could get that message to me.

I remember feeling worn-out, frustrated, hurt and needy in church. But as well as being given re-assurances of God’s love for me, I was also given challenges to “rise-up” and “go all out for God”; I was told to “take on a challenge”. I wanted to do all of these things, but I felt completely worn-out. This is what the law does: it woos you like a lover; it leads you to agree with its logic; but once you’ve been seduced - it heaps the entire burden onto you and does nothing at all to help you fulfil those demands.

I No Longer Live…

Galatians 2:20 says that we no longer live, but Christ lives in us. I wondered to myself: “What part of my being are you appealing to? My flesh? My willpower? If so, let me tell you now that both my flesh and my willpower are both weak, in fact, my flesh is dead and crucified!”

We are the Branches

John 15:5 says that we are like branches that abide in Jesus, who is likened to the Vine. Surely, Christianity has a lot more to do with being able to abide in the Vine than it has to do with me being persuaded to do things for God? After all, apart from Him I can do nothing! Why should believers be persuaded to “do something” for God, when they are not even abiding in the Vine?

Philippians 2:13 says that is God who gives us His desires and empowers us to act upon those desires. The God’s Word translation renders it, “It is God who produces in you the desires and actions that please him.”

So, if it is God who produces His desires and actions in me – what role do I play in all of this? Do I really need to be challenged? Perhaps the preacher is trying to challenge the Holy Spirit in me? This sounds ridiculous, but we must consider that it is the Holy Spirit living in me who motivates me to action, according to His love. My desires are crucified with Christ – what is there for me to “stir-up?” The Bible says that everything that we do should be done with motives of love (1 Cor. 16:14 Weymouth). God is love. Everything that I do should be done with God’s own motives, desires and strength.