An Oft-Ignored Ingredient to Powerful Faith

We all go through seasons when it feels as if our backs are against the wall. Circumstances around us scream in our face and demand our attention, yet regardless of how long we stare in their direction, nothing changes. At times, we feel powerless. We fight the enemy with declarations of God’s Word, we fast and pray, and do everything in the natural to fix what we can, only to wind up exhausted.

God Has a Better Way

Every opposition we face must be met with faith. We know this. As believers, we’ve invested our lives in believing what we cannot see with natural eyes or understand with the finite mind. So what do we do when we’ve done everything we can and feel like our faith has been hijacked by terrorists? The answer—we rest.

Rest goes against our fight-or-flight instinct. It feels counterproductive and impractical. Let’s be honest—when you’re in a battle, resting does not come naturally. Surely the only way to victory is by fighting! Yet right here, in this place of turmoil and contradiction, we are reminded of Jesus, who slept in the back of a boat while it was being thrashed by a terrible storm (see Mark 4:38). And there we have it—our “Aha!” moment when we recognize that the ways of the Spirit are not the ways of the natural. We find that the greatest posture of faith is rest.

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him” (Ps. 34:8).

Yes, there are times to fight, but too often we rush to battle, propelled by nothing more than rattled emotions. We jump into action, before receiving clear direction from the Lord. And let’s be honest—most of the time our actions are nothing more than mental gymnastics.

We long for the Lord’s encouragement, but all we hear are tormenting thoughts that hold us in their grip. Why? Because when our need to understand or find a solution is fueled by fear, it invites the enemy’s harassment.

We Need to Do Something

Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty—doing must be preceded by being. True faith doesn’t need to scream at the enemy, fast for a month or call an emergency prayer meeting. It is completely convinced of God’s love. It simply relaxes, finds its footing and fixes its eyes on the Lord. It is the state of true surrender and absolute trust. From there, we know exactly what to do because we can hear Him. We become empowered by the beauty of our relationship with the Lord. He instructs us, and whether His directions are to fight, take action in some way or continue resting, we do so with the utmost confidence.

True Christian faith is established on this one foundation: Being absolutely convinced of God’s love for us. Once that has been settled within our hearts, it’s time to make a decision. Either we believe that God is a miracle-working God who can do anything, or we don’t. There is no middle ground. Not only is He more than able to take care of us, He absolutely loves to. That is the truth that will settle our hearts in any circumstance if we truly believe it.

Today, regardless of what you are going through, remember to find that place of peace—simply existing in the moment with the Lord as He imparts peace, faith and wisdom for every situation. Take time to rest and find Him before you do anything. Remember: In Him is everything you need (see Acts 17:28).

Gretchen Rodriguez recently co-authored Prayers on Fire 365 Days Praying the Psalms, with Brian Simmons. Their newest devotional, Divine Romance, will be released November, 2017. (Both books are published by BroadStreet Publishing.) She is a writer, dancer and ballet teacher. Her heart burns with one main message: intimacy with Jesus and discovering the reality of His presence. She and her husband invested nine years as missionaries in Puerto Rico, along with their three daughters, and now make Redding, California, their home.

You can find Gretchen here: https://www.facebook.com/GretchenMureRodriguez/