Contending for the Faith
Jude 3 "Beloved, my whole concern was to write to you in regard to our common salvation. But I found it necessary and was impelled to write you and urgently appeal to and exhort you to contend for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints - the faith which is that sum of Christian belief which was delivered verbally to the holy people of God."
For the past week or so, the Lord has really been showing me what it means to contend for the faith...this burning desire to be in His presence has urged me on to pursue time alone with God, to sit before Him even if I don't feel Him, to become routine and purposeful in my pursuit of holiness, or the knowledge of God, of the understanding of who He is and in experientially knowing of His love.
At Bluer's women's group this past Sunday, Patsy mentioned the importance of fighting for the things we seem to be given - such that when the Lord has given us a gift, like a new building, or a desire to pursue Him, we can't just sit back and wait for everything to fall into place, we must work at it, we must pray for it, we must trust (and believe me, that IS work!). This rang true in my spirit as I related it to my spiritual journey the week before. The Lord has given us gifts - even the desire to know Him is a gift of God...and if we do not pursue these things they can go away or diminish or turn a different corner than what we've hoped for...I have first hand knowledge of this...But if we fan into flame that gift which He has given, we will find that it does grow, maybe not on our own timetable, but every second that we have fed our spirit on His holiness is worth something special in God's economy.
II Tim 1:6 "That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the gracious gift of God, the inner fire that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands (with those of the elders at your ordination)."
Our pastor opened in his message this past Sunday with this exact scripture...and then spoke on contending for the faith!
To contend for the faith requires action on our part to not just sit back and let the passion burn out - we need to RESPOND to it. Part of this contending for me is to not be offended when His timing is not in my time frame...I find myself in compromising situations in my faith, and I get angry with God or myself. I give up, or I allow myself to be completely drawn to something that does not feed my spirit on His goodness instead of reaching out to Him, asking Him to show me what it is He would like to work out in me by placing this obstacle in my path. How I long to always respond with an, "I love you still!" even when I am at my worst.
The other part of this contending for me is turning down others, foregoing other activities - even if it's just cleaning the house or doing laundry - to be with God, to pray or journal or meditate on His word...even if I don't feel anything at all. The Lord seems to be calling me to do this, and it's one of the hardest things I have ever tried to do...and other people start to think you are crazy...
Matt 11:12 "And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force, as a precious prize - as a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion."
I remember the first time I heard this verse and the idea of "spiritual violence" and I could not associate the term violence with God, but it seems to make a lot more sense now...to pursue as a precious prize as a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion...
This week already I have been able to experience contending in terms of hanging on to Him, pressing in to Him, and seeking those things that are of Him even if my world seems to suck, turning down dinners and TV and laundry. I can tell the difference in the way my spirit receives Him, in my perception, in the way He calls me to pray, and I know this is a result of purposefully setting myself before His fire, seeking out His spirit..even if I don't feel anything at the time (which is most of the time), He still knows...and even if there is not some amazing experience 10 years down the road, I am finally at a place (I think) where that doesn't matter anymore...I am not doing this for me.
For the past week or so, the Lord has really been showing me what it means to contend for the faith...this burning desire to be in His presence has urged me on to pursue time alone with God, to sit before Him even if I don't feel Him, to become routine and purposeful in my pursuit of holiness, or the knowledge of God, of the understanding of who He is and in experientially knowing of His love.
At Bluer's women's group this past Sunday, Patsy mentioned the importance of fighting for the things we seem to be given - such that when the Lord has given us a gift, like a new building, or a desire to pursue Him, we can't just sit back and wait for everything to fall into place, we must work at it, we must pray for it, we must trust (and believe me, that IS work!). This rang true in my spirit as I related it to my spiritual journey the week before. The Lord has given us gifts - even the desire to know Him is a gift of God...and if we do not pursue these things they can go away or diminish or turn a different corner than what we've hoped for...I have first hand knowledge of this...But if we fan into flame that gift which He has given, we will find that it does grow, maybe not on our own timetable, but every second that we have fed our spirit on His holiness is worth something special in God's economy.
II Tim 1:6 "That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the gracious gift of God, the inner fire that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands (with those of the elders at your ordination)."
Our pastor opened in his message this past Sunday with this exact scripture...and then spoke on contending for the faith!
To contend for the faith requires action on our part to not just sit back and let the passion burn out - we need to RESPOND to it. Part of this contending for me is to not be offended when His timing is not in my time frame...I find myself in compromising situations in my faith, and I get angry with God or myself. I give up, or I allow myself to be completely drawn to something that does not feed my spirit on His goodness instead of reaching out to Him, asking Him to show me what it is He would like to work out in me by placing this obstacle in my path. How I long to always respond with an, "I love you still!" even when I am at my worst.
The other part of this contending for me is turning down others, foregoing other activities - even if it's just cleaning the house or doing laundry - to be with God, to pray or journal or meditate on His word...even if I don't feel anything at all. The Lord seems to be calling me to do this, and it's one of the hardest things I have ever tried to do...and other people start to think you are crazy...
Matt 11:12 "And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force, as a precious prize - as a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion."
I remember the first time I heard this verse and the idea of "spiritual violence" and I could not associate the term violence with God, but it seems to make a lot more sense now...to pursue as a precious prize as a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion...
This week already I have been able to experience contending in terms of hanging on to Him, pressing in to Him, and seeking those things that are of Him even if my world seems to suck, turning down dinners and TV and laundry. I can tell the difference in the way my spirit receives Him, in my perception, in the way He calls me to pray, and I know this is a result of purposefully setting myself before His fire, seeking out His spirit..even if I don't feel anything at the time (which is most of the time), He still knows...and even if there is not some amazing experience 10 years down the road, I am finally at a place (I think) where that doesn't matter anymore...I am not doing this for me.
posted by KariBryant @ 4:37 PM
2 Comments:
At 1:47 AM,
Anonymous said…
Wow, Kari! How I can relate to what you are doing, as the Lord has been calling me to the very same thing. I wonder, is He requiring many to do this thing, is some long-term illness only His gift of severe mercy to call ones into quietness, stillness before Him? I was contemplating on this very topic yesterday, and the Lord began to show me the multitude of "things" that consume me; He began to show me more and more of what distracts me, clutters the mind, interrupts the flow of the Spirit of God in me. I began to get the same picture of even being offensive to others in choosing to withdraw, saying "no" to those things that are legitimate, but which do not fan the Fire. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify. That is what He seems to be saying. We live in a culture that is darkened by a spirit of busy-ness, and a cult of comfort. How I long for the ability to lay it all down. Violently. Will continue to content, with His Grace, in Hockley.
At 12:51 PM,
Anonymous said…
CS lewis once said (as screwtape) that there is nothing more dangerous than one who does not feel the father near and yet seeks anyway. these are the greatest times of gowth for me because they are actually times of seeking. if your coffee table is in the middle of the room, you don't have to seek, it's right there. but if it disappeared, you realize how handy it was and how much you used it though you may have taken it for granted and you desparately want it back.
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