In my last post, some conversation was generated about my comment concerning wandering in a spiritual desert.
“For those of us who desire to follow God, but do it on our own terms, we are in for a lot of desert wandering, wondering where He is.”
While walking through the periodic desert phases of life, I used to wonder why things seemed so hard. Why I didn’t feel connected to God even though I wanted to be with Him. Why it felt like I had to make things work out on my own.
I have a strong independent streak. Maybe it is because I am a firstborn. That may have something to do with it, but I am certain that having a physically and emotionally absent father is the main reason. I had to “grow up quickly” and help my mother by taking on extra responsibilities at a young age. Today, even though I have the desire to go with God, in those dry times I sometimes find that I am not really looking for Him. Why? Because deep down I don’t believe that He has the time, energy, resources, or desire to care for me. As a child I created habits that allowed me to thrive despite my social and economic disadvantages. Unfortunately, depending on God was not one of those habits.
I came to know Christ in my early 20’s. By that time, the character traits I cultivated as child to help me navigate life, I had turned into idols. Intelligence, resourcefulness, perseverance, and self reliance, just to name a few. Idols? Yes idols. Any virtue or useful thing can be perverted into an idol if we look to those things first without acknowledging that the Giver of all good things has blessed us with them. Pastor and author, Timothy Keller, has a very thought provoking book on the subject called Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters. I invite you to check it out.
I am so thankful for the word of God that reminds me of my place as God’s child in Matthew 7:7-11 and also reminds me that I can reach out to call Him “Abba” in Romans 8:14-16.
What about you? What has prompted your desert wanderings? How did you find your way out? What keeps you out in the desert? Share a bit in the comments section. I’d love to hear from you.
In my next post I’ll be talking about the kinds of things that kept me in the desert after I identified and surrendered my idols. But in the meantime, I’d like to encourage you with Proverbs 3:5-6.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
As always, using God’s Word as our plumb line for living.
Until next time,
Hope