A Growing Priority

Having a son and a daughter in-law all the way across the country is not a fun experience. Being so far away limits the amount of time we can see each other.

It also increases opportunity to worry about them, and probably the biggest downside is that even when we do get together we know that a separation is coming.

Never the less I look forward every time we are going to meet. I find myself counting the days letting excitement build until I think I might burst.

Every time we are reconciled it is truly a wonderful occasion…

However I also know a separation is coming again soon. So the closer We get to the end of the visit the harder it is for me to enjoy the time we have. Because I am already lamenting our separation.

Separation from the ones we love is uncomfortable for everyone. However separation can be an opprotunity to grow the relationship.

What if instead of focusing on the separation we were able to celebrate the strength of our relationship even if we are not often in the same location?

Separation is less about proximity than it is about the priority we give the relationship.

Whenever we make important relationships a priority...the challenges of that relationship strengthen the bonds between us.

There are times in which every believer feels as if they are far from God. The distance seems insurmountable. The frequency that we seem to “feel” God’s presence is often fleeting.

This could lead us to feel more sorrow than Joy when it comes to our faith. But what if we didn’t have to accept the distance between God and man as insurmountable or even necessary?

Believers that make their relationship with God a priority find their faith strengthened when trials come.

Paul gives us an explanation on how Gods gift of reconciliation leads to strength even in the midst of all sorts of trials.

Romans 5:1–2 NLT

1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

Romans: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition 1. A New Perspective 5:1–5

God does not measure out His peace and grace in small doses as He sees us take positive steps to follow Him. He offers us a new relationship and a new nature simply on the basis of our faith in Him.

Once we make a decision no matter what we know or don’t know God is all in with us.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Even though old habits and beliefs may rear their ugly heads from time to time God’s saving grace is still given to us at the moment we surrender our will to God’s will in our mind.

Paul tells us we have more understanding of our access to all that is God’s as we grow in that relationship. But we need not wait until we mature to rejoice.

Romans 5:3–5 NLT

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

As we become mature in faith we learn how to rejoice in times of trials. As we grow in faith we are better able to understand that each trial we face is and opprotunity for God to grow our faith.

It is important to understand that this is not the reason trials come. God is not testing you, God is not throwing things at you to teach you a lesson…Nor does God pre ordain the trials in your life.

God does however use the trials that come our way as a result of living in a fallen world. God can take what the enemy meant for evil and turn for good.

But God does not cause the trial. God created us to live as overcomers In this fallen and imperfect world. So it makes sense that if this is true God will with the help of the Holy Spirit give us what we need when we need it.

Romans 8:28 NLT

28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Every victory is won out of struggle. God is not promising an earthly kingdom for us. God is not promising us a smooth highway of life.

God is promising to build us, and empower us to overcome the everyday world so God can be glorified through our growth.

John 16:33 NLT

33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

We must not see the difficult issues we face as punishment from God. Rather we should see them as opportunities to grow in spite of the difficulty.

Paul is encouraging the Romans to change their tactics and their thinking when they are faced with Trials.

He is calling the Romans and us to move from a why me mentality… to a how can I get stronger mentality despite what the world throws at us…This is true today more than ever.

Running away or even wringing our hands when we face trials is how many think they will find peace and freedom from fear. In all actuality these lead to turmoil and bondage to spiritual immaturity.

Easy Spiritual Formation does not mean one is strong…in fact it is probably a mask for weakness.

In Mark we read about a moment where there is a great storm on the sea and all those on the boat with Jesus were overwhelmed with fear and Jesus was asleep on the boat.

The disciples were so scared they woke Jesus and asked him if he even cared if they died? In other words they knew Jesus could do something but in the middle of the storm they were convinced he didn’t care.

Jesus answered this way:

Mark 4:39–40 NLT

39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

There have been many times where I wondered where God was in my storm. Times I wondered if the Holy Spirit was with me…Times when I almost gave up.

But God has come through every time! Maybe not in the way I thought it should happen…but the result has always been better than I expected

Additionally with each time I allowed the Holy Spirit control I gained more confidence in Gods Power and God’s Love for me.

The truth is that tough times can be prelude for discovery and growth if we are willing to weather whatever storm we find ourselves in.

Those who commit to weather the storm will not only survive the storm but come out stronger on the other side of it.

True strength is not possible without significant pain or struggle.

One of the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan, was cut from his high school team, Walt Disney was fired from his job at a newspaper early in his career--they said he lacked imagination... Steven Spielberg was rejected from film school three times...

John Grisham's first book, "A Time to Kill", was rejected twenty-eight times....Albert Einstein had the label "mentally slow" put on his permanent school record...Henry Ford's first two automobile companies failed...Oprah Winfrey was fired from an early job as a television news anchor...

Jerry Seinfeld was booed off stage in his first stand-up comedy appearance...Sir James Dyson suffered through 5,126 failed prototypes before he landed on the first working Dyson vacuum...Elvis Presley was fired from the Grand Ole Opry and was told to go back to truck driving...Colonel Harland Sanders of KFC fame was rejected over 1000 times before finding a franchise partner.

What if any of these famous failures had quit continuing to hone their crafts in the face of trials?

Somewhere along the line it seems that the idea that Spiritual Formation is supposed to be easy has replaced the idea that Spiritual formation takes dedication and Trust.

Not in the works righteousness way but in the exercise of our muscles way.

Weathering the storm means to commit to allowing the Holy Spirit to fill you with confidence when all you really wanna do is run away.

The best way to weather the storm is to engage in spiritual exercises that build our spiritual strength.

Exercises like solitude, prayer, and study.

Solitude gives us time to face our fears in the presence of God.

Prayer gives us a way to process out loud our fears and hopes with God.

Study gives us a way to internalize what God is trying to say to us.

We don’t do these things to earn God‘s favor…We don’t do them because we are strong…We do them because we continually in need of God’s strength and direction.

Take just a few moments as those who are going to help with communion come forward to develop a plan to engage in these spiritual exercises this week.

Communion

Benediction: