In The Middle

I was listening to Judah Smith preach a while back online and he hit on a topic that I don't think a lot of people like to focus on. We love to hear about the victories in struggles and the excitement of beginning a new journey; however, we never like to focus on the part in the middle, when nothing is happening.

In Mark 4:35-41, 5:1, and Mark 6:45-53 the disciples struggle crossing the Sea of Galilee. After much despair, Jesus calms the storm and they make it to the other side. This begs to question, how do you deal with being in the middle -- in the meantime? It can be as stressful as a storm or a as boring as a lull, but either way you're not where you want to be. We don't talk much about the meantime, because that doesn't make the headlines.

God is calling you (me too) to do something great -- your heart is pounding and your palms are sweating. But here to there can be years. There is value and significance in the meantime. We have the misconception that only the spiritually elite get through situations. We look to people who have had a breakthrough spiritually, relationally, or financially and compare ourselves to them. They must do more than I do, pray more than I do, fast more than I do, give more than I do. And after much frustration, we turn it into whoever knows the secret password. What combination of efforts must I do for God to break me through this leg of my journey? We treat God like a vending machine and this creates a shallow relationship with Him. We feel like we'll never be able to make it to where God has called us. But in Mark 6:52 we see that the disciples' hearts were hardened. Jesus took the hard hearted all the way across -- the disciples weren't praying, meditating, or at peace that they would make it to the other side. They were freaking out. So where does that leave you and me, the "not so super-spiritual"?

The key is staying in the boat. God wants to see the desire of your heart that He planted there in the first place. There will be days where behind you seems bright and before you seems dark, but stay on course. The longer you stay around Jesus, the more significant just staying around Him becomes. In Galations 6:9, Paul tells us not to grow weary because we'll reap a harvest in due season. But when is due season? I honestly don't know. But we know that God is in our boat and will never leave us nor forsake us.

I can't tell you how important this message is to me right now. I'm in the middle. One day I will start my own non-profit business to help people. I don't know who and I don't know how, but it will happen. And as of present, nothing has happened. I feel like I'm wasting time waiting and settling for a life short of my dreams. I needed to hear this message because I need to remember that God doesn't need me to hurry up His plan for my life and that I'm not in jeopardy of missing it because I'm not spiritual enough. I've found a new peace that God will lead me to where He has called and I will draw close to Him in the meantime.

- Andrew

Comments

[Debi Livingston]

Good word Andy! I've been there before...and I'm there now. I've learned that God is faithful, even in the middle.