Child Of GOD Ministries
Pastor. Michael Bryan
Our Spiritual
Growth
Teresa was an attractive young Christian
in her twenties. She had recently given her heart to the Lord and began
the long, joyful journey of following Jesus as His disciple. Nearly two
years into her journey she was laid off from her job and began to
experience financial difficulties. As a result, her prayer life and walk
with the Lord intensified. Some months passed with no change in her
circumstances. Then she became conspicuous by her absence from her
church. What happened? Teresa, like countless others we have all known,
backslid. She turned away from the Lord and His infinite resources to
the world and its pitifully limited resources for answers to her needs.
How often we see believers in similar circumstances who turn from the
Lord. How sad. What a waste of thousands of precious lives, years...and
most important, the loss of trained workers in the midst of the most
abundant harvest field the world has ever known. Why do many fall by the
wayside when some of the difficulties of life pay a visit? The
immediate, obvious answer is simple. Jesus said in Mark four they have
shallow roots. We understand that. But why are their roots shallow? By
analogy we know that the roots of a tree will remain shallow as long as
there is abundant water near the surface. Yet a tree with only surface
roots is not a strong tree. It is easily uprooted or blown over by the
wind. But if a tree has only a limited supply of surface water it drives
its roots down deep into the ground in search of life- giving water.
Trees that have deep roots are strong. Such trees are unscathed by
storm, wind and drought...for they have an abundant supply of deep water
that gives them strength. To apply the tree analogy to our spiritual
growth, we ask: How may our roots be deepened? How may our roots be
driven down...down to the deep stream of living water? Most of us won't
like the answer but here it is. Our roots are driven down deep in the
same manner as the tree's roots -- through drought. The many droughts
over the years had actually served to strengthen the tree. For each time
a drought came the roots actually deepened. Why did Teresa dry up?
Because her roots had insufficient depth when one of life's "draughts"
visited her. Another common way we Christians describe Teresa's plight
is to say that life's circumstances were too much for her. The
dictionary defines circumstances as "a fact or event accompanied by
other facts or events." Most circumstances in life you and I encounter
aren't "Divinely Inspired." They are simply events that occur. So when
most unpleasant or painful circumstances occur, God hasn't "caused"
them, they happened. However, God will use the circumstance...to drive
our spiritual roots deeper...deeper into His abundant stream of Living
Water. Most of us have heard similar teachings. It would be wonderful if
we could receive the facts of such teachings and smile through our
tears and say, "Thank you Jesus. You are the Potter, I'm the clay. I
love you. You know what is best for me, so whatever you want to do is OK
with me." Then walk cheerfully and tranquilly into the oblivion of our
awful happenstance! But in real life most of us under such circumstances
run crying to God begging Him to deliver us. Suddenly it's not someone
else in trouble...it's me! "God! Do something! NOW...HELP!" Of course
most of the time He doesn't. We pray, we cry, we fast, we anoint with
oil, we do everything known within the bounds of our theology in our
futile attempt to invoke Divine deliverance from our situation. Yet
nothing happens. At this point we as believers have two basic choices.
We may (as Teresa) 1) turn and walk away, or, 2) stick it out...trusting
God without any understanding. Unfortunately, we can't help the Teresas
of life until they are ready to open their hearts' door. We can,
however, bring understanding to those who elect to stick it out with God
thereby increasing their spiritual tenacity. The ones in dire
circumstances, unable to receive relief, who tearfully clings to God's
Word saying, "...all things work together for good to them that love
God, to them who are the called according to his purposes." (Romans 8:28
KJV) are unequivocally on the right track. In fact, they are on the
only track that will eventually lead to life and peace! My purpose in
writing this article is to bring understanding so as to keep each of us
on that track... with understanding. Frustration Cycle
I want
to introduce what I've come to call the "Frustration Cycle". The various alphabetical points around the
cycle portray the stages most of us will go through before rising above
our problem. Let's start at the beginning explaining the various stages.
STAGE A: LIFE'S GREAT Things are going well. Jesus is our Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God and Savior. Yes, there are some things in our
life that could stand some improvement, but on the whole we are pleased.
We are happy campers.
STAGE B: TRAUMA Some significant event occurs
beyond our control such as sickness or injury, loss of a job, a
relationship or a loved one, severe financial reversal, emotional strain
or pressures on the job, etc. It could be any combination of or "all of
the above"! The beautiful roses have been cut and brutally snatched
away from our mythical cottage and ugly weeds have grown in their place.
Life is now unpleasant, even miserable. The breaking of the morning
light into our sleepless night is a welcome sight. But the coming day
brings no relief, it may even bring more problems. Things have not gone
as we planned.
STAGE C: MANIPULATION At this point we begin our attempts
at manipulation...though usually they are futile. From our own
resources we attempt to bring about changes that will rectify the
situation. We do everything within our power to escape. We bring all our
resources to bear against man and circumstances. Naturally, while the
above is going on in the natural realm we are feverishly crying out to
God in the spiritual realm. It is at this stage we raise our tearful
prayers to the Lord. It is here that we acknowledge of our sins. It is
here we make promises to God--many of which we never keep. It is here we
try to bargain with God as did Abraham of old. Alas. The heavens are
brass. God seems to be far away on the other side of the universe--out
of hearing range of our prayers. God is certainly not answering our
prayers as we wish!
STAGE D: ANXIETY AND FRUSTRATION Anxiety moves in.
We are inescapably gripped in its powerful clutch. Even in our sleep the
tightness never leaves our body. The reality of the situation and the
sense of being captured or victimized soon leads to frustration.
Frustration may express itself in a number of ways such as agitation,
depression, sullenness, shortness of temper, anger, rage or even
violence. It is during times like this that the silent, wonderful
keeping power of the Holy Spirit within us does His quiet, saving work
of conveying the abundant grace of Jesus to us--though we are usually
not aware of it. Even when it seems that God doesn't hear, His grace is
there, continually sustaining us...if we control the forceful emotions
brought on by frustration.
STATE E: HOPELESSNESS Having gone
progressively through Stages B, C and D the next stage of the cycle
leads us to absolute despair! Man either cannot or will not help and God
certainly will not help. Where else is there to turn? Though most of us
won't admit it, at this point even hope, the candle of the soul, dies.
We fear we may make matters worse by such admission but we know deep
down we have lost hope. Humanly speaking, hopelessness is one of the
most devastating forces known to man. It is far more destructive than
the atomic bomb. All the bomb can do is destroy the body, hopelessness
devastates the soul. I know a woman who was at this stage once. One day
as she stopped in traffic on the bumper of the car ahead was plastered
this sticker: I SURE FEEL BETTER SINCE I GAVE UP HOPE! Most certainly
the author of that little expression gave birth to it out of experience!
In a few humorous words he aptly portrayed human despair. You see, in
this stage God is shaking us loose from everything else in which we have
placed hope -- false hope. He must become our only hope. Somehow, being
stretched beyond human hope leads us to the next stage.
STAGE F: "THE
PITS" The absolute bottom. No place is lower. Everything we have tried
has failed. We have failed in our appeal to man and to God. Neither
temper tantrums, tears, prayerful pleas nor manipulation, bargaining or
begging have brought fruitful results. Up to this stage we have had an
excuse for our own behavior: "If he (or she) hadn't done so and so or if
God would only do such and such." Up to this stage the bulk of the
problem has been someone Else's fault...man, circumstances, or even
God's fault. Here...only here...in the pits do we finally begin to look
inwardly for blame. Maybe I contributed somehow. Maybe my reactions were
wrong. Maybe it's me God is after! Finally, with honesty and fully open
ears we ask, "God, what's wrong with me?" Now, for the first time, God
is free to answer. He is now free to lovingly, gently bring to our
understanding things that He has wanted to have us free from for years:
Things that flawed our character, things that hindered our Christian
walk, things that hindered the flow of Living Water and separated us
from Himself.
STAGE G: DIVINE INSIGHT "But if men are bound in chains,
held fast by chords of affliction, He tells them what they have done -
that they have sinned arrogantly. He makes them listen to correction and
commands them to repent of their evil." (Job 36:8-10 NIV). No one wants
to live in the pit of despair. But if the pit is the only place we are
able - or willing - to hear correction from the Lord then the pit
becomes the threshold of relief, the beginning of a new life. It may be
only in the pit that God is able to get our attention and open our
receptors to Divine instruction and correction that He will then pour
forth. Why didn't He tell us back at Stage A? Because few are the open
ears, especially to correction, back at Stage A. For most of us Stages
B, C, D, E and F are prerequisites to our willingness to hear such from
our Father.
STAGE H: CONFESSION AND REPENTANCE King David knew about
confession and repentance: "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your
unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my
transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin."
(Ps 51:1,2 NIV) Once God points out our sin there is only one proper
response. With poetic beauty King David portrayed that response in deep,
heartfelt confession of his sin to God. Another thing about confession
from the pit of despair - it's usually accompanied by repentance!
Confession alone is a mere acknowledgement. Repentance is the turning
away from our sin. David did both, so must we. By now some are thinking,
"But what happened to me was truly someone else's doing. I have no part
in the blame! I am a victim, this doesn't apply to me." Maybe so. But
God seldom passes the opportunity for instruction in Godliness to the
soul so poised for His Word. We have not yet measured up to the fullness
of the stature of our elder brother, Christ.
STAGE I: ACTION! It's time
now to DO SOMETHING! It's time to act on the Lord's instructions. It's
time to begin to put into practice the Lord's Word to us. Jesus said:
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into
practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." (Matt 7:24
NIV). Also James tells us in the Scripture (James 1:22-26) it is the
doers of the Word who benefit, not the hearers. This means that we must
act, speak, think and do in our daily life according to what He has
revealed to us. No longer are we permitted to fall back into the old
rut. No longer are we permitted to sit in judgement, blaming everything
and everyone else for our problems. Those things are now a part of our
former life.
STAGE J: NEW LIFE! Having gone through all the preceding
stages we now find our self embarking on a new life style. Our
countenance has changed. It is now that friends and loved ones see a
difference. There is now a smile on our face though it's very important
that we understand that the circumstances that brought all this about
may still be the same. Quite possibly they have not changed, it is we
who have changed. It is we who have heard...and acted on the Word of the
Lord. It is in this fashion that we are able to rise above our
circumstances. It is in this manner the power of the Lord is able to
transform us - in the midst of our problems. Indeed, we are now moving
in a dimension that God intends us to possess. We are moving in a
dimension in which circumstances have far less control over us than they
formerly had. We are now free of its' awful grip. We are walking in the
true liberty of the sons of God! To put a time frame on this cycle, it
may be anywhere from a few days or weeks to a few years, depending on
how long we spend in each stage. The Lord will move us through each
stage as quickly or as slowly as we dictate by our own stubbornness,
willingness to hear, commitment to prayer, and all the other ingredients
it takes to move with God to a deeper walk.
STAGE K: POWER From this
point on we have access to Divine power we never before had. We posses
an understanding, an assurance we never knew possible. God's power
supernaturally sustains us. This is not to say life has no problems. It
is to say we have power to plow through them with Divine energy. Our
roots have now reached the supernatural, ever-flowing, deep streams of
Living Waters. He now provides an abundant supply of His power and grace
for us to shine His light into this world of darkness, leading others
to Him. I feel a deep sorrow for the countless Teresas among us. They
have turned away from the very thing that brings power - real power - to
the trials of this world. Let us recognize the cycle of frustration for
what it is. Properly viewed and acted upon it becomes a springboard for
a life of power and closeness with the Lord we never dreamed possible.
Are you living in a dry land? Then let your roots grow deep down and
have a drink of Living Water.
Amen
Pastor. Michael Bryan
