We often think we should always be further along in our life of religion than we actually are. This tendency is connected to how we read the Bible, how we compare ourselves to others, after which how we reinforce these dynamics in our faithcommunities.
I would like to indicate upfront that it is kind of possible that we should be further along. I’m not suggesting that we get lazy and stop worrying about spiritual growth. I’m proposing that our attempted solutions to this gap are the basic problem. The gap could also be real, but our solutions are sometimes fruitless.
Many of us spend an excessive amount of spiritual energy—and, frankly, guilt—attempting to be something God didn’t ask us to be. We then spread that expectation around our faith communities and perpetuate the cycle. If we will notice the attempted solutions, and due to this fact the stuck cycle we’re in, and get off that treadmill, we will open our souls to an encounter with God that may cause growth.
Let’s start by the way in which we relate to the Bible. We each bring many assumptions to our reading of Scripture. We project our assumptions onto the page and browse those assumptions back from the page, thus reinforcing our stuck patterns. Assumptions are all the time easier to see in others than in ourselves, and after we’re confronted by our own assumptions, it may possibly be arresting and even threatening at first. When we have a look at the dynamics between Jesus and the Pharisees, much of their hostility was because Jesus was rummaging around of their assumptions, threatening what they thought they knew about Scripture.
We could explore many assumptions related to our reading of Scripture, but I would like to give attention to those who relate to the spiritual progress we’ve made in our faith. Let’s begin with a widely known story from the New Testament—Jesus’s invitation to Peter to walk on water:
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the opposite side, while he dismissed the gang. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to hope. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a substantial distance from land, buffeted by the waves since the wind was against it.
Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come back to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and got here toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, starting to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
And after they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those that were within the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you’re the Son of God.” (Matt. 14:22–33)
One helpful aspect of systems theory—the science of healthy and unhealthy relationship patterns—is the way in which it teaches us to note the entire relatively than the person. On our own, we’re vulnerable to have a look at one person in a story and relate to that one person, but systems theory’s gift is that it helps us gain a more holistic view.
An individualistic approach to this passage might ask, “How can I step out in faith this week? What is Jesus beckoningme to do?” A systems approach says, “Wait only a hot minute—11 of the 12 disciples stayed within the boat. They still benefited from witnessing something astonishing, they usually all ended up worshiping Jesus.”
In this story, most of Jesus’ disciples—92 percent, to be precise—didn’t step out in faith in any respect. In fact, they sat within the boat and watched as their impetuous and daring friend stepped out. Is the one right interpretation of this story that Peter was the great disciple and all of the others were bad? Maybe relatively than attempting to be like Peter this week, we should always attempt to be like one in every of the opposite 11. This week, less Peter, more Thaddaeus. Perhaps we could start a campaign: #TeamThaddaeus.
We are likely to assume we should always be just like the major character of any Bible story. But the truth is we’ll grow in Christ sooner once we accept that we’re very very similar to ourselves, and none of us can—or should—all the time be just like the major character of any given Bible story.
If you’re prone toward motion like Peter was, then go for it. You could be a personality type that’s energized byrisk. You may be vulnerable to act first and think later.
But what if you happen to are the form of one that, when invited to do something latest or dangerous, first creates a spreadsheet to evaluate all options, together with a cost-benefit evaluation? By the time you’re done listing all the danger liabilities, a soaking-wet Peter and a laughing Jesus are back within the boat with you. Is that bad? Can you’re keen on spreadsheets and risk mitigation plans and still walk by faith? Or must all of us be like Peter on a regular basis? What is it about us humans that pulls us toward carrying the pressure and guilt of pondering we actually must be another person?
This results in a second vital point. If we glance rigorously at this text, it ends with all 12 of the disciples worshiping Jesus in astonishment. Maybe the text is more about being astonished at Jesus than it’s about us taking a faith risk. Maybe the central point of this story is Jesus’ power, not Peter’s faith steps. Those of us in cultures that place a high value on performance and improvement are vulnerable to see every story within the Bible as “something I want to work on,” but much of Scripture is definitely designed to assist us worship our astonishing God. In other words, possibly Peter isn’t the major character of this story; possibly it’s Jesus.
What if many of the stories within the Bible are designed to primarily evoke a worship encounter with God relatively than a self-improvement task list? We would do well, particularly those of us in production-based cultures, to be suspicious of our relentless need to enhance and grow. If we’re reading the text with our minds all the time pondering we’ve got something to work on, we could also be missing the guts of God. Maybe God is less concerned with our improvement and more concerned with our worship.
The text clearly shows we will stay within the boat, watch our friend almost drown, and still find yourself worshiping Jesus. Now there is a sermon waiting to be preached! “Friends, this week, I don’t recommend stepping out in faith. I like to recommend staying within the boat and watching your friend take steps. You’ll find yourself worshiping Jesus either way!”
Steve is the creator of Managing Leadership Anxiety: Yours and Theirs and The Expectation Gap. He is the founding father of www.capablelife.me and has served in quite a lot of pastoral roles for 26 years, the vast majority of those years as a lead pastor.
Taken from The Expectation Gap: The Tiny, Vast Space Between Our Beliefs and Experience of God by Steve Cuss. Copyright © 2024 by Steve Cuss. Used by permission of Zondervan. www.harpercollinschristian.com
