KEEPING THE TOWEL

Lisa @ The Preacher's Wife mentioned complacency in a great post a couple of weeks ago. Sometimes when life is too calm, with no drama around us, we get complacent in our walk with Christ. I have found sometimes when it is too hard, with lots of drama, I can get complacent as well. Thoughts like...

I have done enough to help him.

She needs to get her act together.

I wish he would just grow up.

If she is not going to try better, I am not going to even mess with her.

run through my mind and I so desire to wash my hands of the whole thing.

Because it's easier.

Staying in the fight, choosing to stay in the fight, is hard.

It requires humility.

It requires seeing past the faults.

It requires letting of go of trying to fix and to control.

It requires relinquishing the right to be right in order to have the righteousness of Christ.

And that can be hard to do.

Frustration, anger and hurt can make you want to chunk it all in.

Listen, there are times when God tell us to pull back. When He, for our protection (mental, spiritual or physical) and His will, makes it clear we need to remove ourselves from the situation.

He rarely tells us to withdraw because we just don't wanna anymore.

He knew this was going to be difficult.

It was difficult for Christ.

One of the beautiful things about the gospels is we see it.

We see anger.

We see frustration.

We see hurt.

Then we see Him continue to love, continue to walk, and continue to endure.

Hebrews 12:3

For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls...

So when you and I feel like throwing in the towel - we don't.

When you and I think we are satisfied - we aren't.

Short of Christ removing us- we stay in there.

We keep fighting.

We take that towel we so desperately want to throw in and we use it to wash their feet.

And while we will try to not fight with them, we will most definitely be fighting for them.

2 Timothy 2:10

Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.