Today I want us to think about why authentic faith can be so hard for us. Most of us get into ruts and find ourselves “doing what we have always done” or what people expect us to do. That is not necessarily what we are created to be. If you are to become a Spiritual Hero, you must focus on the identity designed for you. Normally, that involves the desires of your heart. You cannot look back and just adjust, tweak or add something to your old life. Some of Christ’s disciples tried that.

Let me give you an example. After Christ’s resurrection, Peter returned to fishing and ignored his calling to apostleship, probably due to the guilt he felt from having denied that he knew the Messiah. After He rose from the dead, Christ had to confront Peter for his choice because he was not fulfilling the image the Father had in mind for him. He was not exercising the gifts breathed into him by the Son. And, he was obviously grieving the Spirit by refusing to accept his nudging to serve as a leader and an apostle. Peter was not walking on his designed path. By returning to the profession and life he had prior to knowing Christ, he was walking out the path of someone else—the old Peter.

Most believers are not called to change their lives or jobs as Peter was upon becoming a disciple of Christ. Rather, they are called to maintain their present relationships and position per 1 Corinthians 7:17. In this way a new believer can have a profound impact on those who knew their old self. Their new and improved character, an outgrowth from walking with God will impact others. Often, new believers feel a need to leave what they are doing to move on to more ministerial work, as if a greater call for one position than another existed. This is often one of the first distractions posed to keep young Christians from impacting others. The yearning originates from one’s natural desire to want more of something he doesn’t have. It is crucial to realize that, when it comes to the Kingdom of God, it is impossible to apply for a better occupation, climb the ladder of success, or develop a new or more fitting position for yourself.

Christianity is not a series of steps to upward spiritual mobility, a pathway to Super Spiritual Stardom, or the key to keeping up with the Joneses. Your joy will be full and you will feel complete only when you quit comparing yourself to others. I believe Paul said it best: “Be sure to do what you should, for then you will enjoy the personal satisfaction of having done your work well, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.”

Returning to Christ’s confrontation of Peter, near the end of this encounter, Peter questions Christ about His plans for John. You can hear the righteous indignation in Christ’s answer, which could be paraphrased like this: “What is that to you? It doesn’t concern you. It’s not relevant. Just be faithful to your assignment and stay on your path. Be faithful to your King and His Kingdom. Then you will be the Spiritual Hero you were intended to be.” I love one writer’s commentary on Christ’s response:

“. . . this is not a cattle call. He [Christ] is not calling you to the same life that everyone else will live. He’s not calling you to the same path that every follower of Christ will walk. Your life is unique before God, and your path is yours and yours alone. Where God will choose to lead you and how God chooses to use your life cannot be predicted by how God has worked in the lives of others before you.” (McManus, The Barbarian Way)

Be yourself so you have a foundation for authentic faith.

Love Dad