Spiritual Stamina预览

Don't Stand Still... GO!

When the church is alive, she is a thing of utter beauty.

We saw a glimpse of this on Day One when we read Luke 10. Jesus gathered up seventy-two of his followers and sent them out to continue his work. Can you imagine how they must have felt? Probably sick to their stomachs with fear. They had consistently watched Jesus perform miracles in power, and now he was telling them to do it too!

They may have gone out reluctantly, but in verse 17, we learn that they returned with joy! God’s power had shown up! Through their obedience to go, God had worked miracles in many lives.

Today, Jesus is saying the same thing to you and me. Go! In Matthew 28, we see Jesus instructing his disciples and everyone else who follows him for the rest of human history to go and share the Good News.

Don’t just stand there. Don’t let the distractions of life stop you in your tracks. Don’t let things stay the same. Go! Talk to other people about me. Show them what it looks like to live a life of obedience to my words.

To be a mature disciple requires stamina long after the inspiration has worn off. The Holy Spirit lives inside us! We may feel reluctant now, but joy is on the other side of hardship, fear, grief, and every other wall we face.

This is how we follow Jesus. This is how we love and worship God. This is what it means to dig deep and live with stamina, to grow in spiritual maturity, and to be salt and light to the world. Through a cup of cold water to the thirsty, a phone call to a friend who needs an empathic ear, an anonymous payment to someone who’s struggling to pay rent, or the boldness to tell someone what Jesus has done in our lives.

We are so ready for this. So don’t stand still, let’s GO!

Reflection: Have I hit a wall in my spiritual journey? By the power of God’s Spirit, what step forward toward maturity can I take today?

Prayer: Lord, I realize that growing in stamina to endure life’s hardships has little to do with my proficiency. May I rely on the power of your Spirit for inward strength and outward boldness to share your truth with others.