You Won't Always Get Your Butt Kicked

There is a hill in our community that I CAN NOT STAND! I never have liked it. And tonight I decided to run a route that made sure I had to climb that hill. While I know that my body will pay for it tomorrow, I don't care, I beat that hill. I made it to the top and smacked it in it's face.

I COULD NOT have run that hill 5 years ago. How do I know? Because I tried running it 5 years ago and failed.

This is exactly how spiritual formation and discipleship works. There are struggles, temptations, thought patterns, that 5 years ago had a much deeper hold on me than they do today. In fact, there are some issues that years ago I thought I would never move past. But today some of those issues aren’t even there any more.

Don’t get me wrong. I have my own different set of issues today. In fact, I have some struggles today that are kicking my butt at times. But I have hope that this won’t always be the case. If God has moved me past those struggles of yesterday can't I trust that God will do it with the struggles of today.

The first Christians talked about these ideas by using phrases like, “maturing in Christ” or “being brought to completion in Christ.” It’s basically the idea that as you and I keep pursuing, keep running after Jesus, the hills that beat us today won’t be so tough 5 years from now.

If you are new to following Jesus then take encouragement in knowing that some of the issues you feel like you will never get past right now may not even be issues in the future.

I know you are struggling now. I know the hill beats you now. I know you keep falling to the same old temptations but this will not always be so if you keep running. Because soon your body will find a new normal. Where those destructive needs and thoughts don’t own you anymore.

But it takes time. Sometimes years. It takes diligence. It takes choosing to get up tomorrow and run again even when it’s tough.

Godly character is formed in this way. By waking up each day and renewing your vows to Jesus.

So please know that the hills that beat you today will not beat you in the future. Because God has started a good work in you and God always finishes what God started.