One day this past week I was sitting in our morning prayer time with the rest of our team here in Romania and we were going over our ‘homework’ that Raul (our contact) had given us. Every day he gives us a scripture or asks a question and he challenges us to answer the question or explain the scripture biblically and with scriptural backing. This exercise has been one of my favorite parts of being here this month, because it challenges our minds and spirits. It has us studying scripture together and each day we gain more and more clarity in the Word.
The question on this particular day was: How do you define a spiritually mature man? What makes someone spiritually mature? As we studied the scripture that answered the question, I became offended. If this was true, then I certainly wasn’t mature! How do I accept that? I began struggling through these thoughts, and a deeper question came up. Why do I always aspire to be something I am not? Why do I continually strive to be somewhere else rather than right where the Father has me? Why am I not ok with being in process?
The problem was not my spiritual maturity. Maybe I am immature spiritually, but I am just where my Father wants me. The problem was that I am never satisfied with being right where He wants me.
As I sat in this, the love of the Father began to wash over me, and the Spirit began to speak truth to me. My child, I will not leave you, nor forsake you. I may be in process. I may not yet be spiritually mature, but my Father will not leave me there. As I sat in His arms, and His words washed over me, a peace filled me. For the first time since I started this thing called the World Race, possibly the first time in my life, actually, I was comfortable with where I was. I became filled with such joy, and the freedom that this realization released in me has bubbled over to other areas of my life.
Our Father says Abide in Me but I never realized what that looked like. As I slowly walk this journey beside him, He is showing me exactly that. Abiding in Him is simply walking this life with Him, wherever it may go, and wherever you may be. It is joy and contentment, not in your circumstance, but in your identity as a child of God. Our circumstance may change, but our God never will.
No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. – Joshua 1:5
Team Chayil at Dracula's castle!
Rebecca, Eddie and I with the children in Coteana
