At 4:05 am this morning, one of our kids woke up to go to the bathroom. Which woke me up. And {you guessed it} I couldn’t go back to sleep. Which is okay at this moment. {But probably not when 8:30 rolls around tonight. …zzzzzzzz}
So, if you follow my blog, you probably know that I do slightly-early morning devotions mainly because that’s when everyone in my family is still in ‘la-la’land. Which also means that when I couldn’t go back to sleep this morning, I simply reached for my devotion books to begin a hair earlier than normal.
…and stumbled across a chapter that leveled me. {In a good way, of course.} I love to share things I read in the morning on my Twitter page {click there to see this morning’s shares}, but this was so mind-blowing that I had to grab my computer to type. Here are some parts of Chapter 22 of Mary DeMuth’s book, Beautiful Battle {a total must-read}…
“Forgetting that growth and character emerge from the valleys, I addict myself to that which will not grow me up.”
{Shall we begin…?}
She’s talking about how we love to live in the mountain-tops with our super God-moments, but drag our feet when it comes to dwelling in the valleys where we actually are required to live out what He’s taught/shown us.
“Here’s the sad truth about me: I would rather scale a peak and drink from the glacier on top than dig ditches in the valleys, even though the valley is where I live most of the time, where I cultivate life with Jesus. Why do I experience a parched soul? Because I prefer alleluia-ing in the mountains to digging trenches in the valleys. I despise trials, suspecting them to interrupt the climb, when it’s actually the trials on the trails that deepen my experience of God.”
{Whew.} She tells of workers in the 1400′s who dug out bisses {trenches} in the valleys to tap into the mountain-glacier waters.
“If we dare to carve out space for God, digging bisses in the valleys, we’ll experience the overflowing of His presence even there. But so often we settle for consuming mountaintop experiences to the detriment of our souls. Or we’ll chase after things we think will satisfy because they seem like an easy way around…digging ditches in the valleys.”
“…digging a bisse in the valley involves labor and pursuit… It’s steady, rhythmic digging, not prone to…mood swings. It’s an affront to Satan’s tactics, as it connotes a steadiness, a wherewithal, a holy tenacity to endure even when God seems distant. Isn’t that when Satan’s lies seem the most delectable? When God appears far away…while we muck it out in the valley?”
And here’s the kicker….
“And yet, we are called to…grow up. We are called to labor. We are called to love God even when He seems far. ‘Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life’ {I Corinthians 3:1}. Though babies are adorable, they are also a host of other tings. They are selfish, demanding milk when they are hungry. They’re helpless, needing a parent constantly maintaining their needs. They’re immature, unable to articulate their needs except by crying.”
“Look back over that list. Selfish. Helpless. Undiscerning. Immature. Pray over that list. Ask God to show you where you’re a baby.”
{Hello, major conviction.}
“Satan likes nothing more than for {us} to emboyd selfishness, only concerning ourselves with what makes us happy or content. He would love us to kick aside our valor and instead insist on being rescued. He rejoices when we lack discernment and run headlong into unwise decisions or sinful behavior. He smiles when we grovel in immaturity.”
“Growing up, living joyfully and strategically in the valleys…riles Satan. Which is why it’s time we grew beyond…infancy. This is not glamorous work. Because we must settle the deeper issue first. Are we willing to grow up? Are we willing to move beyond basic elemental belief? What is holding you back from that kind of maturity?”
“…if we grow up, ‘we won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like truth’ {Ephesians 4:14}. Growing up means thinking rightly about God…even when He’s hard to see. The idea of growing wise in the ways of God and innocent of evil is not strictly a New Testament idea. Jeremiah warns, ‘My people are foolish and do not know Me, says the Lord. They are stupid children who have no understanding. They are clever enough at doing wrong, but they have no idea how to do right.’ {Jeremiah 4:22}.”
“It’s time to stop playing at life. It’s time to grow up into righteousness… What does it look like as we grow? How can we dig in the valleys, grow up, and do what is right?”
Mary goes on to relate a story of cowbells. She says that the farmers place cowbells around their cows to keep track of them, but only put them around the smarter cows because they realize that they other cows will follow the ones wearing them. She then says, “Could it be that God does the same with us? He places cowbells around the necks of those who are smart in the Spirit, who exercise wisdom. He entrusts those of us who grow beyond infancy, who dig in the valleys, with responsibility.”
“The problem: since we tend to like instant Christianity with instant success and instant holiness, we want God to place the cowbell around our necks…when we’re not ready. We want the glory of it without first demonstrating our worthiness for it.” {Beautiful Battle…some of the emphasis mine}
So, what’s it gonna be? I know the valleys suck. {Yeah, I said it.} I know digging trenches isn’t easy. I know being thankful in the fire feels awkward and unfair. I know waiting patiently on Him to move goes against the very grain of our being-in-control-all-the-time nature.
But. That’s what growing up is all about.
Thing is, I would be really aggravated if my 12-year old was still saying ‘ga-ga-goo-goo’ when he’s capable of more. Now, if he was unable to, that would be understandable. But he is able, and so…I expect more.
Which means, I can only imagine what God expects from me. I’ve walked with Him for years, and yet I wonder if He sometimes still has to give me milk because I fold my arms, refusing to grow into the maturity I should already be exhibiting? {Probably more than I care to admit.}
Which is sad. And a total waste.
It’s time to grow up. I want Him to be able to trust me enough to strap a spiritual ‘cowbell’ around my neck to lead others down the correct path. I want Him to know that He isn’t going to have to pat my back and rub my belly every.single.time things don’t go my way.
It’s time to…
Act mature.
Exhibit discernment.
Watch my words.
Live joyfully.
Walk thankfully.
And basically…grow up.
{Image courtesy of Flickr}
