When Your Faithfulness Falls Flat: Crowning Jesus as King in the Waiting...

Oh my gosh...have you ever hit those seasons where it seems like you are absolutely stuck?! It's not as though you don't believe...In fact, you know God is at work, and you are confident that He is doing great things. Yet, somehow, it feels like your brain is wading through pudding, trying to rub two coherent thoughts together!

This has been me lately, to the point where I am saying, "God, you have to fix this!"

You see...I hate being unproductive. Even if God is saying, "Wait, sweet girl. I have you in a place of rest. One, because you need it. Even more, though, I am moving you out of the way so that I can do work that I don't want you to get in the way." As I have trudged through these days, leaning into my own strength and understanding, I have surely heard the Lord saying, "Just do what is in front of you."

I can hear Him saying these things, BUT I am fighting. Because surely there is work that God "needs" me to do...

Oh boy, Rachel...Get over yourself!

Thank the Lord! He reminded me that He does not want me to be bogged down by all of these menial, daily things that I have procrastinated on. That does not mean I can just forever forget my responsibilities, nor does it mean that I have to do them all today. It means that I do the first, most important thing. So, I did, and it is as though my whole world opened up, and I am suddenly able to do so many of these other things.

As I followed the Lord out of the mire of my high-minded self-pity and subsequent laziness, I realized that waddling around in the looming drape of stuckness could be the equivalent of denying Christ as my Lord. This may feel like a stretch...but follow me on this for a second.

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Think about Peter. He had been following Jesus closely, and he was positive that he was the most passionate, faithful disciple. At one point, he even thought he needed to correct Jesus. Ultimately, this disciple who had pledged all of his allegiance to Jesus would deny Him THREE TIMES IN A ROW!! (Luke 22:54-62)

Imagine that...somebody thinking they knew better than the Son of God and denying Him power over their decisions when things got hard.

The point is that Peter was "stuck" on himself. He saw himself more highly than He should, and when things went wonky, his self-proclaimed dedication fell flat. He was not able to keep his head above the fray and remain faithful. He served his fear and confusion over the One he knew to be the Messiah and Friend.

If I had a picture of myself to insert here, it would be with my head in my hands, wondering how I could get stuck so quickly in this rabbit hole just like Peter did. The question is...

When I get in these ruts, am I listening to that still, small voice leading me, or am I denying Him and serving myself?

Here's what the Lord brought to mind next, though...the beauty of Peter's story after Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension. He went on as a man, forgiven and changed. In my opinion, he wrote two of the most beautiful, challenging books in the Bible. He wrote to encourage and strengthen Christians who had been scattered throughout Asia Minor and to teach them how to respond to persecution. He taught them to set aside the unknowns and live with joy in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

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This morning, as I rose, Jesus reminded me that He does not need me, but He does want me to listen closely to Him while I wait. When my mind starts to wander, seeking satisfaction in my own understanding, He is asking me to think carefully of all that He has shown Himself to be. He is reminding me that my salvation is already complete in Him, but there are specific tasks, including rest, that are to be done so that His glorious name and character might be known! So, today, since I live as a woman forgiven and made new as the righteousness of Christ, I am to call to mind my victorious Savior and crown Him Lord over every stronghold!

"You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a [special] people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies [the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections] of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people [at all], but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers [in this world] to abstain from the sensual urges [those dishonorable desires] that wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the [unsaved] Gentiles [conduct yourself honorably, with graciousness and integrity], so that for whatever reason they may slander you as evildoers, yet by observing your good deeds they may [instead come to] glorify God in the day of visitation [when He looks upon them with mercy]." 1 Peter 2:9-12 AMP

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