I thrive when I have a routine. When life throws curve-balls at me and my routine is broken up, I've notice that I end up just surviving each day as it comes. This is a big problem since life is a series of curve-balls that pile up at my door step waiting to throw me off my oh-so-important-routine.
I've spent the past 5 months surviving many curveballs- all of which have been good things and blessings from God. But all of which took me away from life as I knew it. They took me away from the "normal" days I had gotten comfortable with. Even though they were good, they put a wedge between me and God. Maybe you learned this a while back (I'm sure having kids expedites the process), but I feel as though I'm learning for the first time again that when life is irregular, the easiest and worst thing I could do is put off God.
When I came off of this season of irregularity, I heard a recurring word echo from books, sermons, and deep within my heart. SANCTIFICATION. It's a pretty big and heavy word to hear that many times in the span of a week to not think that God is saying something to me. I'm still deep in the journey to seek out the meaning of this word for me, but I will fill you in to where I am with it thus far.
Sanctification is the process of growing in our faith and acknowledging the fact that we cannot live the Christian life in our own strength or goodness. (True Spirituality, Francis A. Schaeffer) This can sometimes be confused with justification which is complete through Christ's death on the cross which justified all of our sins before God. That is a finished work of Christ that isn't depending on how we live out our Christian faith. Sanctification does not deal with our salvation, but it does deal with the power of sin that lingers in our lives as Christians. And this is where I am. Sin likes to creep in the small spaces we allow it to in our lives. The spaces so small it is unnoticeable to most and even acceptable to some. I've lied to myself that those small sins don't have power over me. But when another curve ball is thrown my way, that small sin is given just a little room to grow; and grow it must if it wants to accomplish its purpose of drawing me away from God.
Christ has shown His power over Sin and death when he rose from the dead. He then appeared to his disciples and gave them the Holy Spirit before he left (Luke 24:49) telling them that they will do greater things than even He did (John 14:12)! That it was better that he left so he could be with them more through the Spirit (John 16:7)! This is the day we live in folks. Where Jesus is alive and his Spirit is at work in us and through us (Romans 8:11).
When sin creeps in and is given a chance to grow, it's not our salvation that suffers. It's us and it's our fruitfulness as Christ's disciples that suffers. It may not seem like we are missing much, since we aren't capable of seeing the fruitfulness that could've been. But I want to acknowledge before whoever is reading this that I am not satisfied living with could've beens. Especially because we have the Author of Life as a resource and a power source to thrive in this life! I choose to catch those curve-balls thrown at me instead of let them knock me out. I choose to allow them to enhance my relationship with God instead of create distance. I choose to thrive. Sayonara to surviving.
