Have You Ever?

Have you ever felt like you were stuck? For instance, have you ever felt like your life or situations in your life were as if you were stuck in the revolving doors of a very important building? You really want to be in the building and enjoy all of the grandness that the owner of the building provides, but because you're stuck in the revolving doors you can't do anything except for continue in the same path that you have been going.

But what if someone came by while you were walking in the revolving doors and said "Hey! I know the way for you to get out of here. All you have to do is follow me!" So you follow the person out of the revolving doors, seeing what new freedom you have. But because you're unfamiliar, uncomfortable, or maybe don't know the owner of the building that well to tell him about your problems and concerns, you resort to returning back to the revolving doors.

Have you ever felt this way in your spiritual walk with Christ? You're stuck in the revolving door with your sin, wanting to get out, but when you are free, you resort to returning to the door because that's what you know and what you're familiar with. But why stay in the door? Why do we choose to stay with our dirty and ugly sins when there is so much better in store for us in our Owner's mansion? Why give up the riches that God freely gives us once we accept Him for temporal things that are faulty in value? (Jeremiah 2:13) 

If God had only saved us just to save us from our sins, then there would be little difference in our lives. More than likely we would continue sin, knowing that God would forgive us. But if that was the end of the story, it would be one very short and boring story. Thanks to God that He invites us into a relationship with Him. He doesn't just want to save us; we all need to be saved from our sins. He wants to commune and have fellowship with us (Revelation 3:20).    Through discipline, God prunes us into His image and likeness and have access directly to Him through His son Jesus. 

Really, there is no need for us to be stuck in the "revolving doors" of life. Instead of having a temporal satisfaction of enjoying our sin and feeling guilty after we've done it, we can be fully satisfied in the riches and wisdom that Jesus freely gives. If all we see is our very small (in relation to time) and current condition of being surrounded in sin, we'll never be able to see our eternal purpose and long-lasting future with Christ. Our lives on earth, our struggles and issues on earth are just a speck of our eternity with Christ, giving Him glory and praises forever. 

So my questions for myself and you are these: What temporal conditions, sins, pleasures, or whatever, have you accepted? What is keeping you in the "revolving doors" of your life? Let me phrase it this way: what is your focus on? Do you live as though Jesus is the center of everything that you do, wait and watch for His return eagerly, and work towards to set mission that He has set you on right now? Or, do you live in defeat, feeling inadequate, ill-equipped, and wasteful of the short time that Jesus has given you on earth to serve Him. At the end of the day, only what you do for Christ will last. Your sin has no control over you. "Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:1). 

I know for me personally that it has taken a long time for me to answer those questions. It's taken a long time for me to write this one post. I've been working on it for over a month, and during that time I have experienced God in a completely different way. Instead of feeling trapped in the revolving doors, I entered into God's presence to see His glory. In the course of this month I have learned what God's love is and looks like. I think so often we get caught up in the notion or idea of God's love with even experiencing it for ourselves, and for me, I think that had a lot to do with some of the struggles, insecurities, and doubts I was facing. I don't know your personal stance with God or anything, but I challenge you to develop a relationship with Him, and if you already have one, get to know His love, His true love.