Striving After Wind

I sat watching my 5 year old son “swimming” during his lessons this past summer. Liam had the motions right, he was doing the crawl stoke and kicking. However, Liam wasn’t getting anywhere – he was so determined to swim he was moving his arms at a rapid rate and in doing so almost standing still in the water. I reminded Liam to slow down, be deliberate in his strokes – initially he refused to take my suggestion thinking he knew better, then when his instructor told him the same thing he tried it out. He started moving across the pool. The next day however Liam was back to his manic pace of strokes and getting nowhere.

How often do we get so excited in our walk with Jesus that we end up flailing around? Our spirits are in the right place, we are moving the right way but we are doing so so fast that we look half crazy and are getting nowhere, let alone helping out in building God’s kingdom. I know I am very much guilty of this. A Christian sister will come along side me and offer some suggestions, slow down Jessi – take a breath, don’t take on so much. Depending on my heart I may openly and willingly take her suggestion or I may hear her words but figure I really know what is best for me and how to get the job done and I foolishly continue flailing around. Then Jesus will step in and remind me to slow down, be more deliberate in my steps, don’t take on so much that I sink and most times I listen. However, just like Liam I often revert back to my old ways of doing God’s work MY way. At those moments I wonder, does Jesus look upon me and shake his head saying “Jessi why are you working so hard?”

I recently took a day to spend in God’s word. I was blessed with the opportunity to spend the day alone at my parent’s house in the mountains – on sunny day completely surrounded by God’s creation and it was magnificent. I was blessed with the company of my parents senior aged dog who was quite happy to sit with me on the deck provided that she have cold water and we stayed in the shade. I dove into the word, not sure where I would read or what. I ended up reading the entire book of Ecclesiastes. Throughout the book of Ecclesiastes, there is reference to chasing after wind. Chapter 1 verse 14 is the first “I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after wind.” Again in verse 17, “Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this too is a chasing after wind.” This describing life without God – that we are chasing after nothing. Without God we cannot find enjoyment. Our purpose is not fulfilled when we are chasing after wind, flailing around like a child just learning how to swim. The great blessing in this is that we have an amazing instructor and a guide to start living out our purpose of spreading God’s love. The instructor is Jesus, the guide is the Holy Spirit and our guide book is the Bible. We have all of the tools we simply need to humble ourselves, recognize we don’t know how to do it best and seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit – most of all in this crazy fast paced world – we need to slow down, be thoughtful and deliberate in our steps and within that amazing grace – make strides in spreading God’s glory!

Where are you flailing today? What is the wind that you are chasing? Slow down, prayerfully ask God to show you how to slow your steps to meaningfully live for his glory. Be open to hearing these suggestions, they may come from a sister, a husband, a child or spoken directly to your heart by Jesus. In any voice, as long as they align with scripture it is the Truth and when listened to you will stop striving after wind.

Baggage Claim

I was having a conversation with a dear friend recently and during the exchange prayer requests were shared. She was having an issue with something that she was seeking God’s wisdom and counsel on. However as we dug deeper into the conversation she shared that she was unwilling to give the issue fully over to God. She was carrying it and while she knew it wasn’t the right thing to do, by golly she was not ready to let go of it. This friend is a mighty woman of Christ and a very strong believer, however like all of us there are some issues, some situations which are just too important, to close to us, to emotional for us to give over to God. We want the control or the condemnation that comes along with them – even though at the same time we see the damage they are doing to our lives and the lives of those around us. Hanging on to these situations is not what God intends for us. God desires that we seek forgiveness for these situations and circumstances and turn them fully over to Him.

Our prayers are not intended to be baggage that we check at the ticket counter on our way to some exotic vacation destination, or maybe a trip to the Midwest to visit in-laws, and then reclaim after a specified amount of time, though many of us do that very thing. We give our struggles, concerns, challenges over to God – for a time – and then after a bit desire to land back in our “comfort” zone walk down to baggage claim – elbow our way into the crowd of people awaiting their bags and with great accomplishment claim our black rolling suitcase of sin – we know it is ours because we have marked it very creatively with a nice bright pink polka dot scarf, though perhaps after many trips that bright pink is now dingy and the scarf is frayed. In any case we know it is ours and it is very different from hers – with the generic baggage tag. We pull the bag off of the carrousel and once again begin to lug it around with us. How much more freely and comfortably we would walk if we simply left it in the hands of God? Never giving it another second thought, beyond that which God’s Spirit has laid upon us to do with it, seeking or offering forgiveness.

God in His amazing way allows us to continue to take back the issues and situations that cause us strife. Though it is not His desire he does not put a lock and key on them – I believe it breaks His heart to watch us take back on the pain of sin, after His son gave up His life for that very sin. Regardless of its significance in the bigger picture – make no mistake – Jesus died for that sin, that one that you are holding on to. When we hang on to that sin we are opening the door for the enemy to take up camp in our hearts. 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 “If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven – if there was anything to forgive – I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes” Hanging on to situations and issues that simply cause us pain not only continue to fester within us, they break the heart of God and create a foothold for the enemy. There is an answer and it is right there waiting for you. What are you hanging onto? What is it that you don’t want to give over to God but know that you need to? Hand it to Him now – He is waiting and longing for you to trust Him, to believe the Truth that He did die for that very situation and desires to take it on for you. Pray now that God can shine the light of the Holy Spirit upon those things that need to be taken away from us and given to Him. Those things that only He can wash clean with the magnificent, holy and cleansing blood of Jesus and “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…” Colossians 3:15