Unexpected Renewals
I was in a funk.
Months of partner development at my new job had left me feeling frustrated, tired, and fed-up. Work on campus did not appear to be fruitful. I had used my allotted time on campus to meet students, do spiritual surveys, and attempt to start small groups. After weeks of labor, I had one student to show for my efforts.
Something had to give.
So, when a student I had messaged on Instagram at the beginning of the semester randomly reached back out to get lunch on a random Tuesday, I jumped at the opportunity.
We met at a dining hall on campus (buffet style, because that’s how we roll in the south) and exchanged pleasantries. Where are you from? What are you studying? Tell me about your family, etc.
As he finished his first plate and was preparing to go back for seconds, I remembered that he had previously shared that he couldn’t attend one of our groups because he had a church commitment at that time. Curiously, I asked, “So, which church do you attend?”
As he walked back to the buffet, he casually answered, “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.”
Renewal in Unexpected Places
The rest of the conversation progressed with my new friend sharing his story of joining the LDS church, explaining why he chose the LDS church and making inquiries into the state of my faith. I took several opportunities to ask directed questions about things that he said, many of which resulted in the topic of the conversation changing.
His final question to me centered on the authenticity of the experience of coming to faith in Jesus at 14 that I shared with him. “But did you truly come to faith then or was that like how most people say that they’re Christians?” he inquired.
Something stirred in me that I had not felt in a long time as I articulated all the various ways that my authentic experience with Jesus 24 years ago had shaped, directed, and informed every major event of my life since up to and including my decision to serve with the organization with which I am currently employed at this very campus.
We ended the conversation with a pleasant exchange of invitations to check out one another’s ministries. Thus far neither of us has taken the other up on the offer. That’s ok, because the gift the student gave me that evening was far greater than any invitation that he could have offered.
Walking by Faith
“Walk by faith, not by sight” is a phrase I’ve heard repeated so often with so few examples of what it means to actually walk by faith that it’s almost lost all of its meaning. The only concrete exhortations to walk by faith and not by sight that I can recall involve placing faith in a tenuously espoused doctrinal position because… faith?
But I’ve rarely considered how I have walked by faith and not by sight. As a result, I’ve completely underestimated the power of remembering the ways my faith has motivated decisions I’ve made and how the Lord has sustained me, cared for me, and provided for me in the past.
My friends’ inquiry into the authenticity of my faith gave me an opportunity to recount how my faith in Jesus has formed, shaped, and directed my life for 24 years. In remembering, I found encouragement, power, and motivation.
Overcoming by Trying to Overcome Less
The last few weeks have been radically different. The perspective offered by my LDS friend’s line of questioning transformed my mindset. Where I previously saw stagnation, I remembered the mountains that were moved to get me to that place. Where I previously saw lack of results, I saw faithfulness in a process. Where I previously felt frustration, I now felt peace in simply being obedient to the task before me.
And it all came from remembering how the Lord had worked in big things over two and a half decades. Weeks of frustration were overcome in less than 2 minutes of remembering.
When we experience trials, my (and likely your) first thoughts tend to be about actions that I can take. Try harder. Try again. Find a new angle.
When this is our approach, we associate ourselves with the people of Israel in Isaiah’s day: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.” (Is 30:15, NIV). We aren’t unique or special in this struggle.
I don’t know about you, but I would much rather have rest, quietness, and trust than not. Sometimes we miss out on these experiences because of unrepented sin (and yes, pride counts as unrepented sin). Other times we miss out because we won’t stop and ask the Lord to minister to the needs of our soul through the riches of His glory in Jesus. We don’t allow the Comforter to comfort us. We don’t allow the Advocate to advocate for us. Foolishly, we self-medicate, distract, and justify ourselves through activity rather than finding what our souls truly need from the one who made us.
In all that time, the Lord is inviting us to just stop and remember how he has loved us with faithful love. He is inviting us to remember that he cares for us, wants to provide for us, and is the source of satisfaction for our deepest longings.
We know all of these things, but like the Israelites, when we do not make space to remember, we forget.
Isaiah goes on in chapter 30 to remind his readers that “the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” (Is 30:18) Isaiah then elaborated on exactly what that could mean for them.
Friends, wherever you are, with whatever you find yourself struggling today, I can confidently assure you that the Lord longs to be gracious to you. Will you find your strength in rest, quietness, and trust today?