Healthy Dependence

What do you think about the supernatural? I find that as Christians we have little to no problem believing and even talking about a man being crucified and rising from the dead as if it is perfectly normal and acceptable, but if you say you are under spiritual attack, we shy away from the idea of God or Satan having real actual supernatural impact on our lives today. That’s Bible stuff,  not normal today stuff. While I am not a charismatic by any real stretch, I recognize that the Church – specifically the SBC – has done a fairly masterful job of distancing itself from the miraculous nature of God. We see the miraculous spiritual gifts that were given to the apostles as no longer active today (which is biblical) and we begin to believe that God (and Satan, for that matter) does not intervene in our lives like He used to (which is not biblical.)

Why does this matter? In my own life, I have felt the pain of spiritual attack – especially lately. My family moved to Cincinnati last August from a situation that was not ideal, and we landed in a situation that was wonderful. We love our church, we love our jobs, and we have even settled into a house here, making this place our new home for the foreseeable future. Good changes are happening at our church, and I have settled in as Pastor over a small but dedicated and loving congregation. Ministry is happening, and we are poised to grow.

Funny thing about good things happening in the Kingdom of God – our enemy, the devil, does not like it at all. Maybe that makes you uncomfortable – referring to the devil as a real, feeling, thinking being with an agenda that includes you and me and the church. Here is the truth about the normal today stuff – the devil is absolutely real, and he is absolutely all up in your business, especially if you are seeking the will of God. He can and will do everything in his power to frustrate and impede your progress as you mature to Christ likeness – and he will stand in the way of people carrying on Christ’s mission of making disciples of all nations.

When we discount the power of Satan, we are caught unawares. When we forget the adversary, he sneaks in and gets a foothold, and we stop relying on God as our protection. 

As good as life is for our family, things began to fall apart in rapid succession about 3 weeks ago. It started with the guitar I use for leading worship no longer working when plugged in. The repair bill for our septic system (in the house we just bought 6 months ago) came in at over $5K. We have termites. Our tax bill is over $4k. Our washing machine broke. Our home computer crashed and was not salvageable. Our SUV’s transmission is failing. We bought a new (used) washer, only to find that it too leaks, and the sellers knew and are proud that they ripped us off. And most difficult – our daughter, already with a slew of debilitating health problems – will have to have surgery in her chest. On top of all of this, I work 2 jobs and am studying for my doctorate. The stress is beginning to adversely affect my health.

Where is God when the devil is everywhere?

I can say that I have no choice but to depend on God. Even in this situation where clearly I cannot fix all of these things (or any of them, for that matter) I find true dependence incredibly difficult. I already know that I am not in control – why can’t I give up the death grip I have on that illusion of control?

Here is the key, really. I need to cling to Him. Even if I struggle with the faith to believe that He will deliver us from everything going on, I need to grab onto Jesus and hold on for dear life. That true dependence begins with me recognizing that I am not sufficient to meet all of the needs of my family or myself, nor do I need to be.

Humility is the key to dependence. I need to recognize myself in the shadow of the Creator. Isaiah 57:15 explains it well – “For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.’” Isaiah establishes the position and authority of God, and tells us what posture is required to be in His presence – a heart that lowly and contrite – broken over our sin, and seeking the protection and restoration of the God of Wonders.

So it comes to this – I do not subscribe to the notion that when things are difficult we are being disciplined, though I do know that God will place obstacles in our way in order to change our path. I do, however, recognize that when we are walking with God and we are seeing success, Satan will stop at nothing to derail us. It seems that in those moments we want to blame God for allowing them, when in fact this is the time we need to draw to Him ever more. We need to examine our own lives and recognize our intense and urgent need for God even when things are great. 

And when they aren’t, we cling to Him and the promise of Psalm 34:19 – “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”