Warfare doesn’t befall the lazy Christian.
Slept in a little. Went for a prayer walk. And for the last couple of hours, I’ve been two seasons deep into a Netflix binge, flanked on either side by pup. There’s a fresh box of Cheezits on the coffee table, and all the fixin’s for football food in the fridge – the Bengals home opener is tomorrow.
Did I mention the apple spice candle filling the whole house with the scent of fall? All signs point to a relaxing day.
But I’m a Christian. And one who is on mission at that. So I’m going to take the day to rest because I know it will be short lived. As long as we’re doing something for the Kingdom, we can expect more of the uncomfortable days than we can days like today. Warfare doesn’t befall the lazy Christian.
I want to tell you about my friend Lisa (names have been changed to protect the innocent and newly saved). Lisa and I met at church and became fast friends. She was the type I’d describe as a believer, but not necessarily a follower, of Jesus. She’d kinda grown up that way and never really been challenged.
Stick around long enough, and something (or Someone) is going to challenge your laissez faire Christianity.
But this is why I love my church – stick around long enough, and something (or Someone) is going to challenge your laissez faire Christianity. Anywho…
Lisa decided she really liked the people, so she started coming to one of our community groups. That led to curiosity about Jesus. Everytime she was around the people she enjoyed so much, they just wouldn’t shut up about Him. So over the summer, she jumped into a deeper discipleship relationship with another believer-soon-to-be-follower and myself.
We talked about everything. Like… ev-er-y-thing. I did my best to answer questions. But mostly, I just loved being around them. Genuinely. We laughed so much more than we did anything else. More often than not, I found myself thinking, “this has to be what Jesus meant when He told us to go make disciples.”
That verse? The Great Commission? It doesn’t mean “pack up your house, leave everything, and go to the ends of the earth to make disciples.” That’s sort of what I thought my whole life. But it actually means “as you go, make disciples.”
Sometimes the stuff we’re fighting has little to do with our lives and much more to do with the impact our lives make.
I imagine Jesus today might have said, “Don’t be deterred by people who are different from you. You’ll encounter all kinds. And as you do, make disciples out of them. Teach them what I’ve taught you. Because eventually, this thing is going all over the world, and it will happen person by person, as each of my disciples go about their lives on mission for me. And one more thing… I’ve got you. I’m here, whether you see me or not. So let’s go.”
Man, I love me some Jesus.
So that’s what I was thinking over this summer with Lisa. We were just hanging out. I knew there was one particular area of her life that was not surrendered to God, and we talked about it. Honestly. She agreed that this wasn’t honoring God, but she wasn’t ready to pull the trigger on changing it. So I just prayed.
Christian, please don’t value your comfort over your mission.
A week ago, Lisa had an encounter with God. A true moment of surrender. We prayed together. She told God, “You can have it all. All of me. I just want you, Lord.” We both wept. And the next day, she told me about the plan she had in place to help her repent of that one thing and change her habits. I told her how proud I was of her. Then I told her about how angry Satan was with her decision.
Twelve hours later, the attacks began for Lisa. Nothing life-threatening, just uncomfortable. And she said, “Doesn’t matter. I’m not trading this peace for anything.”
Do you see it?
Lisa’s breakthrough and the end of my warfare coincided. Sometimes the stuff we’re fighting has little to do with our lives and much more to do with the impact our lives make.
Who is watching you cling to the peace of God when all of Hell is breaking loose around you?
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