By: Donna Bucher
Staring
out the window feeling uninspired, it occurred to me, sometimes life can feel
sluggish; like plodding along in a tedious way day after day. Though we may
indeed have a full schedule or calendar of events, a touch of monotony creeps
in and we feel "stuck".
Lately,
I felt on more than one occasion like crying out to God; "stuck", in
the hope He would extricate me from difficult, unending circumstances. I
realize God leads through difficult valleys for many reasons and all His reasons
work together to conform me to the image of Christ.
But we
can also feel "stuck" on a plodding path when God is preparing us for
a work and our impatience feeds our discontent with the "now" in our
desire to get to the future.
Whatever
the reason, if you feel like you're "stuck" today, plodding along a
difficult path for more days, weeks, or even years than you ever thought
possible, I want to give you some encouragement!
No
matter how tedious or purposeless your path seems, God is in every detail, and
walks that very path with you.
Purpose in the Plodding
Though life's mundane tasks and paths can seem
purposeless, from God's point of view, they are a treasure house of purpose. The
Bible holds stories of those who plodded along in relative obscurity day after
day before stepping into God's full purpose for them.
Consider Moses who spent 40 years in the desert
before leading the people of Israel out of Egyptian bondage, after pending time
in Pharoah’s courts.
Moses needed the education he received in Pharoah's
house to write the Pentateuch, his military and leadership training learned
there was indispensable in the exodus. Not to mention the skills he learned as
a shepherd, which surely schooled him in patience and prepared him to lead
God's people.
"For whatsoever things
were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience
and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."
Romans 15:4
Perspective in the Plodding
God does not delight in our pain, nor does He
deliberately leave us toiling in vain. At the same time, God is never in a
hurry; God's purposes are "the long game".
God took over 40 years preparing Moses for His
purposes. For Moses it may have seemed an eternity of mundane existence, but
plodding along one step at a time, Moses learned:
Dependence on God, not
himself.
He grew in his knowledge of God and how God viewed
things.
He learned
patience and obedience while becoming wiser, more compassionate and loving.
The slow plodding? It was a transformation, not a
hopeless waste of time.
If we focus on what we expect from our efforts as the
only goal at the end of the tedious path, it feels purposeless.
If, however, our vision and goal is simply walking
with God on the plodding path, it becomes life giving. We are not driven by the
outcome of what we want because the goal is walking with God, not getting to
the end.
"Cast
not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For
ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might
receive the promise."
Hebrews
10:35-36
Ponder in the Plodding
Remember God has a purpose for your
plodding; He is preparing you for the next season you will walk through. He is continually
working all things for your good and for His glory as He walks with you on the
sometimes mundane path. Though you cannot always see His plans, know He is
strengthening you, using everything you encounter as He did for Moses, and so
many others.
When you walk the plodding path with God, you
have time for breathing, listening, and enjoying
the beauty of His presence because you are not in a hurry to get to
your expected outcome.
Ask
God to open your eyes to ways He is transforming you for His purposes. Glance
backward and see how far you have come, regardless of how many more steps are
in front of you.
Notice
the fruit of the Spirit more prevalent in your life and your heart more tuned
to God's will and ways.
Ultimately clinging to God's goodness and grace even though you may not be able to see them right now.
Reflect:
In what ways do you feel stuck today?
How can you better accept the hard path and see God's goodness in it?
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These words, "however, our vision and goal is simply walking with God on the plodding path, it becomes life giving. We are not driven by the outcome of what we want because the goal is walking with God, not getting to the end."... they are the reminder that I needed today. Thank you, my sweet friend.
ReplyDeleteI so appreciated your words as I read them this morning. I feel like I am walking laboriously and slowly due to back pain. The challenges do lie before me. The Lord has continuously reminded me this week to keep clinging to His goodness and grace. Your post was the beautiful encouragement I needed! Thank you, thank you!
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