“If we don’t allow God’s word to change our attitudes, behaviors, and ethics then why do we even believe?”
This was a text I sent my husband today.
We are in a valley, not in our marriage, that is actually stronger than ever, but in various outside factors in our lives.
We are both walking in valleys in our careers. Nearly two years ago God moved a mountain for my husband’s career and we are so very thankful, but there is still a valley to trek through. The valley in my career is almost a mirror of what my husband is walking through. We know there has to be purpose in it. It’s tough and I’m thankful we have one another but it’s also hard because we cannot see to the other side.
Our daughter has a bully at school. We are working our best to approach it the right way and do the right things but it’s hard to navigate. Every instinct you have as a parent is to protect your child. Can anyone say mama bear? Well this mama bear and papa bear are having a hard time not roaring because doing things the right way is trekking through a long valley.
We have a broken relationship with a relative. We have had to break away from this person due to toxicity and callousness we feel that person projected towards us. But God calls us to forgive, God calls us to show grace, but showing grace and figuring out how to move forward are hard. This situation is taking us slowly through a deep dark valley.
We know God has moved mountains for us, you have read about some of them on this page. He has provided healing, finances, love, and joy in our life but He is still carrying us through a series valleys and it is hard.
No one wants to walk through hardship.
No one wants the strain of broken relationships.
No one wants to face challenges in their careers.
No one wants to see their child mistreated.
It’s easy friends to let our flesh rise up.
We forget we are a new creation.
It is easier to let our nature take over and treat those around us the way they are treating us.
It is easy to pick up a stone and throw it when you feel you have pounds of rocks hurling at you.
Sin, well sin is easy. It’s takes little restraint and acts on impulse.
It’s easy to get angry, it’s easy to withdraw, it’s easy to break ties and walk away from people and the situations that push us to the valley.
But as a Christ follower if we fall to that nature then why do we even believe? If we are not going to allow God to transform our attitudes, our behaviors, our ethics, and our demeanor then why even bother?
If we aren’t going to let God’s word and His presence transform us, aren’t we just wasting our time?
His word means we forgive those who are not sorry.
His word means we work for Christ even when our efforts are not appreciated by man.
His word means we give grace with a whisper when our flesh wants to roar.
As we walk through every valley this life leads us through we have to keep a mindfulness of “Would Christ be proud of my journey if he were standing at the other side when I get there?”
If we aren’t keeping that mindset friends, if we aren’t allowing our belief in Him to transform us then why would we even believe?
We must allow Him to change our hearts and choose the right path through the valley even when it seems like the hardest path.
