When we think about an ideal Christian walk, it’s tempting to picture a life filled with the sparks and the butterflies that stir in our stomachs when we think about and pursue God. There are moments when praying is easy, when we can’t wait to open our Bibles and devour all God is speaking to us, and when we feel like we can spend our days worshiping God in a hundred different ways.
But there are also times when that excitement die down. It’s not non-existent, but it’s not raging either. Praying becomes a little harder, feeling like we’re crawling into our prayer closets, and songs are not easily flowing from our mouths anymore.
When this happens, we tend to assume that something is wrong, or worse, that God has abandoned us. If we are not careful, we let our feelings lead us and determine our pursuit of God: when emotions are high, we gladly pursue God; when they are low, we don’t even bother.
The pursuit of God will not always be filled with euphoria. The excitement isn't constant, but God is. His presence, glory, holiness, faithfulness, and all He is do not change based on our feelings.
I'm not saying that our relationship with God is a dull arrangement that we simply endure. Au contraire, it's a beautiful and delightful relationship, but it requires discipline and devotion.
The Bible often says that it's the earnest and diligent who find God (Hebrews 11:6; Jeremiah 29:13; Psalm 63:1; Proverbs 8:17). Why?
(1) earnest pursuit is a sign of love. None of us wants a flaky love, where you're constantly wondering, will I be loved tomorrow? Will this person still choose me on a bad or busy day? We don't want this kinda love, right? Neither does God. That's why He rewards those who pursue Him earnestly, that is, pursue Him steadily, sincerely, and eagerly.
(2) the enemy is against our pursuit of God, and getting us to rely on our feelings instead of our faith is one of his tactics. Our generation has allowed emotions to determine our actions. Emotions have their place, to be sure, but they can't and shouldn't be the basis or a substitute for faith.
And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. - Hebrews 11:6
Faith is the key—our feelings need not always align. This goes both ways. Sometimes, we wait for the 'right' feelings before praying; other times, we pray or worship until feel a certain way and then use that as a confirmation that we've moved God's heart. We ought to be cautious about either tendency for God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24).
So when the sparks are gone and what we know about God doesn’t match what we feel, may we rely on His promises instead of our feelings. May we worship not just when it's convenient but especially when it's costly.
After all, our praise is based on what God has done, and there are countless of those. Our worship is based on who He is, and that’s too extravagant that it calls for a forever song. Just look at the creatures and elders who sing to the Lord day and night (Revelation 4:8-11). How about we faithfully join in and steadily, sincerely, and eagerly pursue the Lord?
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