One thought on “Book Club – “Everyday Faithfulness” (Week One)”

1. 

   Yesterday I took my 16-year old driving…for the first time. Surprisingly, he was more nervous than I was, but it went really well. Obviously he’ll be practicing a lot more before he gets his license because there’s so much to learn.
   I think faithfulness and perseverance are a lot like learning how to drive: so many things to remember and so much that needs to be repeated. It would be great if we could simply download the knowledge we need to complete any given task and be experts without putting in the effort, but as the author reminds us, that’s not how life works: “Anything we want to learn and grow in doesn’t happen in one big decision but in thousands of little ones.” (Page 33)
   My brain is not wired to wait. I’ve had to train myself to put some things off because, well, does everything really need to get done “now”?! I believe in efficiency and efficacy and yet have had to come to terms with slow-yielding (if any yielding 🤪) results despite my greatest efforts. My initial reaction is usually, “Are you kidding me?! This cannot be happening!” God has been helping me reshape my thinking so I’m now trying to ask, “Is there a reason this is happening in this particular way?” Most often, I’m not seeing the results I want because I’m expecting things to change by only wishing things (or people) were different. Furthermore, I’ve realized for a lot of areas of my life (ok, mainly parenting 🙃) I’ve falsely believed it’s not my responsibility to “fix” the situation, so I’ve not been as actively involved in the process as I should have been.
   Let’s be clear: everyone is responsible for their own actions. However, with parenting, parents need to guide their kids so they know how to do things. It doesn’t mean they will do it correctly – or even do it at all – much of the time, but the examples need to be displayed and support given regardless of parental opinion or successful outcome. Regular, everyday parenting doesn’t bring fame or praise. Everyday parenting feels ordinary and exhausting and, let’s be honest, pointless sometimes. Similarly, “[r]egular, everyday faithfulness to Christ doesn’t usually bring about fame or praise.” (Page 24) It’s ordinary; we get tired and can wonder where our faith is going or if it even matters.
   I was very encouraged by the author’s reminder that “[f]aithfulness to Christ recognizes that the miracle of salvation continues in the miracle of sanctification.” (Page 24) I think I’ve expected myself to “have it altogether” because Jesus saved me, or that because Jesus saved me, I don’t have much, or anything, to be responsible for. And while I can rest in the fact that Jesus’ saving me was done (and only needed to be done) once and for all, I’m not supposed to “rest” in my sanctification – meaning I can’t be passive and put my feet up and watch my life, on this side of eternity, pass me by.
   What I’m trying to say is we can get comfortable and while we may trust God with our salvation, I don’t think we always do so with our sanctification. We want the easy way out. The crazy thing is, if we really think about it, that’s what Jesus offers us. He’s made a way; He is the Way. We didn’t have to die and be the sacrifice; He died and was the sacrifice. He beckons us to follow Him, saying that yes, it will require us to give up our own way, take up our cross, and deny ourselves. But this is not because He wants to control us but rather because He loves us!
   As the author says, “[g]rowth doesn’t come from rigidly following rules. Rather, it is a gift that God gives to those who have truly tasted His goodness.” (Page 30) He’s not going to make us taste His goodness, but He’s offering it to us – it’s for us to taste.
   I probably should have mentioned we’ve got a total of three sons (not just one) learning to drive right now! 🤪 We’re going to be spending a lot of time in the car. I’ve got to tell them and show them what they need to do in order for them to be able to drive. And to do that, I need to show up.
   Being faithful means “[making] the decision now so all you have to do tomorrow is show up.” (Page 44) God’s prepared plans for us to do long before we were created (Ephesians 2:10). They’re good plans because He is good. Trusting Him is hard, but part of being faithful to Him means continuing to persevere to see where He leads. And if you’re anything like me, you’re probably curious to see what He’s got planned. ☺️

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