Have you ever been saving to purchase a new piece of equipment, stereo, or household décor? Finally, you saved enough to purchase the item! Filled with excitement, on the way home you envision what you’ll do with it. If you ordered it, you could be tracking it every few hours so you can watch for the delivery driver when he pulls in. Once it’s in your possession, the joy and excitement is overwhelming! You tear open the package only to see those two dreaded words, “Assembly required.”
It seems as if nobody ever wants to read the instructions. Some people even avoid them all together, relying solely on their own knowledge and ability to assemble. But doesn’t it seem like there are pieces leftover every time you put something together without the instructions, or the item doesn’t work like it should? There are reasons why the manufacturer put specific steps (instructions) in the manual. The purpose is to make sure that it’s put together correctly so it can operate in the manner the inventor (creator) designed it to.
Steps usually read like this:
Step 1- Identify the screws and pieces for assembly.
Step 2- What tools are needed for assembly and how to use them.
Step 3- Which pieces are needed to start and the order in which to assemble them.
Typical instructions proceed with a step by step process until the finished product is ready to enjoy. Why are people against following these step by step instructions? They are meant to help and guide us. Many attempts are made to put the masterpiece together by our own self will. This is a common thread among people. Consumed in all the excitement about the finished product we try to skip the essential steps. We want to speed the process up.
This same mindset is common when we are recovering from a life run off of self will (flesh). We turn our lives over to Jesus believing that everything is going to be amazing. Yet it’s misleading to think that saying a prayer will result in all our troubles immediately disappearing. There is no instant gratification when it comes to healing, restoration, peace, and joy. Yes there is an initial high or buzz when we surrender to God, but what happens after? What happens when that feeling wears off and we are left with some of the same baggage that we brought into our relationship with Jesus?
There is also the belief that serving God, leading worship, or teaching will make our troubles fade away. All of it will get better if we stay busy and work through it. A common phrase used is to “white knuckle it.” That is the furthest thing from freedom as described in the Bible. A crucial part is left out. We have to seek counsel and allow the Spirit to expose the damage in our soul, i.e. our minds, wills, and emotions that have been damaged by our false conceptions of God, others, and ourselves.
This is why discipleship is so important. We are guilty of leaving people with a good feeling of the experience they had at a service but never taking time to disciple them, walking shoulder to shoulder with them and guiding them to live in the presence of God, moment by moment.
Everyone has a purpose in life. We were all created for something. Every step has a purpose as well. If the focus was shifted from what we do to who we are, we would find the peace and joy promised. The steps are ordered for a reason. One of the biggest misconceptions is that we have to do something to be accepted by God. But truth is this: If you believe and cut a covenant with Him, then you are right now as accepted by God as you’ll ever be! You don’t have to do anything. Knowing who you are in Christ would be the most crucial step before anything else. People tend to jump quickly into different roles in the hope that what they do will determine who they are. That is backwards and deadly. Your identity drives your activity. That is why it is so important not to get your doing in front of your being.
Kingdom steps:
1. Identity: Who you are in Christ
2. Restoration of the soul. Renewing your mind. (Thinker, Feeler, Chooser)
3. Rest in Him. Trusting Him. Let your Identity drive your activity.
There is Freedom and Peace in knowing that God is in control, that you only have to focus on the step right in front of you. Sometimes that step may simply be to be still. There is no rush to get the finished product overnight. If we are believers, we are now already living in Eternity anyway. So enjoy the journey. There is Freedom in resting in Him through each step as His Spirit works in you. There is no such thing as instant gratification in God’s Kingdom. In the Kingdom, gratification is often delayed. Don’t believe the lie that you aren’t good. Sometimes it is ok to not be ok. But let God love on you. He is love. His love conquers all.
Isaiah 61:7
1 Peter 5:10
2 Corinthians 13:9-11
Have you gotten your steps out of order? It is easy to put our “doing” before our “being”. At Crossway we love helping people understand how their identity in Christ impacts all other areas of their life. Give us a call at 864-224-5557 or click on the Counseling button below. We’d love to talk with you.