Crisis

Colossians 2:6

Do you need a crisis of faith? “A crisis? No thanks!” we might be tempted to respond, lumping crisis in with root canal or bankruptcy. But in the life of a Christ-follower, a crisis can be a very good thing—in fact, an essential thing. As Christians, we often confuse the crisis with the process. Conversion to Christ happens in a crisis. In a certain place at a specific time, you heard the Good News about Jesus, by faith turned from sin, and received God’s forgiveness. At that pivotal turning point in your life, you became a true follower of Jesus. That’s the first faith crisis. Process is important, but process alone will not complete the work God began at your crisis of conversion. Just as you received the Lord (in a crisis), so walk in Him (returning to the point of crisis). As we grow in Christ, we aren’t supposed to leave the crises in the rearview mirror. We need regular intervals of turning and returning to the Lord, when the chords of commitment that bind our hearts to His are tightened again. While we are eternally forgiven the penalty of sin through faith in Christ, the power of that sin still looms large over our old nature. A poor choice, a weak moment, a willful wandering—and we need another crisis. Don’t just try harder; return to the Lord! Not because He has left you (He hasn’t!) but because you, like Jonah, have in some way at some level left Him. As you received him (a moment of turning), so walk in Him (a moment of returning). Come; a crisis awaits you.

Questions for further thought:
1. When was the last time you had a spiritual crisis in your life? Describe.
2. Do you need a crisis of faith?

Challenge: Pray this prayer aloud…Lord God, forgive me for trying to safely manage my faith, as if horizontal adjustments are what I need. I need a crisis of faith. I choose today to return to You, my Lord. I want to press on to know You. Weed out the sin in my life. Rekindle my love for Your Word. Soften my heart for the lost. Bind my heart to Yours more tightly. Reign over me, as I’ve never known before. All that I am and have is Yours. Just as I received Christ Jesus, teach me to walk in Him. In His name, amen.