Assignment for the burnt out Christian

From the process of getting to know God over the past thirteen years, I have come to recognize a common thread of erosion in the pursuit. Not only in my own experience but

through conversations I have had with others struggling in their faith. For whatever reason we seem to believe the lie that once we say 'yes' to Jesus, everything is supposed to be easy. We assume that we know the best outcome to every situation, that we know how people in our lives should respond to our great ideas, that God should have figured out by now that we really can handle this without him. We are professional micro-managers.

Which can look like, but not limited to:

 > Placing expectations 

> Telling God how you want to see him

> Questioning the intentions of his goodness 

> Flipping open the Bible at random for that special msg 

> Giving Him ultimatums

It is easy to admit that human are selfish beings. We live in a 'you do you' culture where the lines are blurred and people are fixated on finding what makes them feel good in the moment. God is not a genie meant to grant wishes, the bible is not a magic book, and the Christian walk was never offered up as the easier option. We have to make the decision to die to our selfish desires on a daily basis, to heal from our past, to press into Christ through the uncertainty of our future. We have the choice. But that choice goes against everything that this world stands for.

If you are struggling in your relationship with God and wondering why you can’t “see” him, I challenge you to take a step back and look at your part in that relationship. Where have you been trying to micro-manage His will in your life? I promise you that whatever it is God has for you, the Devil has likely distracted you enough that you now believe you want the complete opposite of what God actually created you for. Trust me -- my great ideas were extremely difference from this life he has me thriving in now. The strange thing is; the truth of this story I am living today was always buried deep down within my soul, I recognized it -- but I didn't believe it was intended for me. Over time and in the process of breaking through my expectations of God, I have come to see what was there all along.

If you are at a place where you want to figure out what has been holding you back, I challenge you to consider these questions in prayer, write them in your journal and invite God into this space of finding out what is amiss.

What are your expectations around realtionship with God? 

How have you been trying to micro-manage God? 

What are your intentions with him? 

What is the “ultimate goal” in your pursuit of Christ? 

And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

- Matthew 8:26

God has the ability to rebuke the winds and create calm in your life, but you must allow him to show up as himself, in the way he knows is best for your situation. Sometimes he calms the storm within us, while everything around us is in chaos. His position in your life is meant to be the roots you thrive from. If we don't allow him the space to show up, we will continue on the marry-go-round of broken expectations and burnt out faith.

God is already available for the relationship, are you?

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