Everyday Step with Jesus

Starting something new can be intimidating at first, but once we get started the excitement about something new can keep us motivated to keep going. But what happens when that excitement begins to wear off and challenges begin to rise up? Do we stop or should we keep pushing through? There may be moments when it seems easier to just give up and stop what we have started. There are different stages to our process, and thus different hurdles to overcome, with moments when things just seem to be getting harder making it almost impossible to keep going. For some, the hard part may be getting started, for others it may be the middle process, where you’re not really in the beginning anymore, but you’re still far from where you need to go. For others, it maybe the final stretch, when you’ve ran out of energy and you feel like you’ve put in all you’ve got….and all of these feelings in all of these different stages become more real and our reality when we are trying to do this on our own, without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. However, when we lean on the Holy Spirit, we are able to rest in God’s presence, leave the heavy load and be renewed with strength…with His strength. How do we push through these moments when we feel like giving up? Keep on reading…   

Sometimes starting something new can be challenging, for example starting a workout is always the hardest part for me. Getting around to actually starting the workout requires so much effort, especially when I’m not dedicated. However, there are other days when I’m just so determined to get that workout done that I do it without hesitation. On the days when it is hard to get started, during the workout I’m almost always glad that I got off the couch and did the workout, it feels good. The same concept can be applied to almost anything that we get started on…at first it may be hard to get started due to many different factors, but once we do we will be glad that we did. These different factors that can stop us from getting started or going all the way with something new can be fear, laziness, lack of motivation, lack of determination, intimidation, and many other factors.

I remember that in the beginning of my walk with Christ I didn’t hesitate to follow Him, at least that’s what I thought until one day I had an experience where the Holy Spirit showed me how I had gotten started but I wasn’t going all the way and how this was affecting me. One day when I was at the beach, I was in the water but I was by the edge. As I was standing by the edge the waves came crashing in and I could feel the power of the waves. As I kept walking into the water slowly, the water reached my knees. I could feel the strength of the waves even more and the waves would cause me to stumble and push me back as I stood in the same spot. As I kept trying to walk in slowly, the waves made it harder for me to go in deeper. I had to stop walking and stand very firm in order to not fall because the waves were so strong. I finally decided to just jump in all the way. Once I did, I could feel the waves but it was as if I was moving together with the waves instead of against the current.  Once I actually went into the deep side and was fully submerged, I was moving along with those waves, they were no longer pushing me back. It was almost effortless. All I had to do was float and the waves were doing their thing. When I realized this, the Holy Spirit showed me that the same was happening in my walk with Christ. I had gotten started but I was on the edge, therefore, I could feel everything. I was being crushed by the different things coming at me. The different emotions I was feeling, of needing to let go of certain things, the doubt going through my mind, the fear, and the different stages that came with renewing my mind in Him. We are to move along with the Holy Spirit and not against Him. When we put our confidence in Him, we will be able to push through the different things coming at us. This experience reminds me of the following verse:

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. Isaiah 43:2 NKJV

He was and is with me every time I go through the waters and rivers, just like how He was with His people as they went through the different obstacles…and He is with you too. The water, river, fire and flames all represent different obstacles that His people would go through, and through them all He would be with them. He is with us every step of the way, and no matter what difficult stage we are facing, we will not be overcome when we are holding onto Him.  He gives us the push that we need at every stage that we are going through, whether it is getting started, in the middle or the final stretch. Let us not make the journey harder than it’s supposed to be by standing in the same place when the Holy Spirit is actually trying to guide us. 

More often than not we know what we need to get done, but it is just a matter of doing it even when it feels like a chore. In these moments, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to help us push through. Going back to the exercise plan, when we have put in the work and we see results it is great and we get motivated, sometimes even when we do see results something happens and we end up stopping…the results that we had obtained are lost and we end up the same as when we started (sometimes even worse because not only do we gain back the weight we had already lost) but we end up gaining even more. We don’t want to have to keep starting all over with our process, we will only end up exhausted and unmotivated. This process can be anything from growing in Christ to starting your ministry, to starting your career, or anything new that you have begun. When we throw out the good that we have learned along our process, we are only hurting ourselves because then the process will start all over again. 

Whatever stage you are in, in whatever walk you are on, know that God is the one that gives you the strength to push through the obstacles. Lean on Him and His understanding, not your own (Proverbs 3:5 NKJV) and see how it becomes almost effortless. Yes, we need to put in our part by being willing and obedient, but He carries us under His wings and takes us to high places we can’t even imagine. Remember that our thoughts are not His thoughts (Isaiah 55:8 NKJV), He has higher thoughts for us than we can ever have because our minds are limited by so many different things, but our God is not limited. He knows you and He sees you, He sees the stage that you are in. He knows if you are afraid to get started or if you need that renewed strength to keep going, all we need to do is ask and we will see His glory unfold in our lives. So, to answer the question, should we stop or keep going? We should keep going in the direction in which He leads us in. Even when we no longer feel like it, remember that we didn’t start this by feeling, but by love and His love is unfailing. 

We need to push through the laziness, the lack of motivation, the excuses, the stumbling blocks, or whatever else may be stopping you. We can only do this by staying consistent in what we do, staying consistent in depending on the Holy Spirit. It is not about getting to your destination first or the fastest, but about actually getting to the point that the Lord wants to take you. We know that we will get there, because His word reminds us:

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; Philippians 1:6 NKJV

Paul wrote this to the Philippian church at a time when he was imprisoned! Even in those hard moments Paul was able to encourage the church because he had learned to be content in whatever stage he was in (Philippians 4:11-12). Out of a difficult time in Paul’s life came one of the most known verses:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 NKJV

Paul was confident in the Lord, even through the hard moments because of the perspective that he had. We need to shift our perspective onto the Lord instead of being focused on the situation. Instead of being focused on everything that needs to get done, look at how far you’ve come because of His grace. Shift from complaining to thankfulness. You may be reading this and thinking “it is easier said than done’, and quite frankly, it can be…but I also know it is doable. When we renew our mind in His word, we will see things from a different perspective and even when we don’t fully understand, we can rest knowing that He works all things together for good (Romans 8:28 NKJV). If he started something in you, He will not leave you halfway and we shouldn’t stop halfway either.    

Push through by going all the way, stop holding back…go with the Holy Spirit instead of going against Him. Push through by staying disciplined and consistent in your walk, even when you don’t feel like it. Push through by switching your perspective and staying confident in the Lord. Most importantly…push through with the Holy Spirit. We don’t have to do it alone…matter of fact, we shouldn’t do it alone (because we can’t lol). Plus, why would we want to do it on our own when we have a Helper. If you’ve been feeling like you can’t push through certain obstacles, call upon your Helper.