Yesterday, we considered the challenge of overcoming negative sources of spiritual gravity holding us back from living an adventurous life with Jesus. In order to break free from the pull of these strongholds, we must first identify them. While the list could be quite long, here are seven common sources of negative spiritual gravity:

1. Familiarity

This is the one, as a pastor, I encounter most frequently. It usually expresses itself in one of two ways, either, “We’ve never done it that way before,” or “We’ve always done it this way.” Both are ways of articulating the deeper meaning, “This is what I know, and I am afraid of change.” This is understandable. With all of its challenges and problems, what we know is familiar. We know what to expect. Making changes may lead to something better, but how can we be sure? What if the change turns out to be bad? Staying with what we already know, feels much more secure, therefore, we resist letting go.

2. Past Failure

Maybe we tried something new in the past and it didn’t work, or maybe we saw someone else fail when they tried to break free, but the fear of failure is powerful, especially when we’ve experienced it before. Someone breaks our trust and we easily pull back from trusting in the future. We try a new business venture and it doesn’t work out so we squelch our entrepreneurial spirit. An attempt to live by faith seems to come with more struggles, making it easier to settle for a more “reasonable” understanding of faith. When things go bad, we become far less likely to try new things in the future.

3. Past Success

Ironically, when things go well in our past, it can also inhibit stepping out in faith. Why fix something that isn’t broken, or, why not just do what worked before? I often hear it expressed this way, “The church I went to when I was younger did it this way and it worked.” That is probably very true, and it may even be the right choice for us today, but the assumption is, it worked well enough in the past, it should still work in the future. So, instead of asking God how we should move forward, we take our direction from past success. It happens in churches, but it also happens in our personal lives as we keep trying to do what worked well the last time we tried, often leaving us stuck in the past instead of moving into our future.

4. Perceived Safety

Sometimes, we believe that we are safer where we are, than we would be doing something new. Certainly, this can be the case, but many times we convince ourselves that we are safer inside our sinking ship than we would be risking the open water in a life raft. We insulate ourselves from the realities of our circumstances to reinforce that belief, but the situation is actually no different. We feel safe, but we can be more at risk than we know.

5. Negativity

“That will never work!” Many of us are conditioned to think negatively. We start our evaluations looking for, and accentuating, all the possible concerns. When asked to list the “pros” and “cons” of an action or decision, we begin with the “cons,” and easily find more items for that list. Instead of seeing possibilities, we see problems, and we let that worldview shape our decision. One of the great dangers of this source of negative gravity is the more we feed it, the more dominant it becomes. As we search for, and speak, negativity, we train our minds and our spirits to think this way and thus, it becomes easier to find and say even more discouraging things, sapping our strength to move forward. Like adding weight and resistance to the rocket we are trying to launch, we sabotage ourselves at the outset.

6. Lack of Faith

I know, saying, “you don’t have enough faith,” is often used as a tool to beat people up, but Jesus spoke it frequently, not as a condemnation, but as an honest assessment and an invitation to think differently. Without faith, it is outrageously difficult to embrace new things, or to step into a new stage of our destiny. In many ways, faith is the fuel we burn to create the energy for upward momentum. The more faith we have in our tank, the easier it is for us to achieve liftoff and begin to soar where Christ has led.

7. A Controlling Spirit

Admit it, sometimes life feel wildly out of control. The more chaotic things feel, the more we try to control them. I recently discovered this was a growing problem for me. Over the last year, a number of things happened to reinforce the lack of control I actually possessed over many circumstances. During some recent prayer and reflection, I became aware at how much I was trying to find order through my own ability to control my circumstances. Of course, this control was just an illusion, and all I managed to do was create large amounts of stress in my life. Yes, things are often in chaos, but the good news is that God does some of the greatest work in chaos, and speaks order in the midst of it. Attempting to control things only restricts us from releasing our circumstances to God and embracing God’s power to walk through the storm together.

Maybe you find yourself wrestling with some of these issues, and maybe, they point to some other strong sources of gravity holding you back in your personal journey. Take heart, Jesus overcame the world, and he can help you overcome every stronghold that is holding you back.

In my next post, we will discover how to break free and soar. To do that, we need to know what is holding us back, and trust the One who is calling us forward.

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In my prayers and preparation, I found myself talking to God about the difficult juxtaposition, and about the challenge of finding my way through the darkness to see the light of Christ. In a profound moment of prayer, I sensed God say, “Yes, it’s just like the first Christmas.”

Indeed, the nativity of our Lord did not take place in some sanitized story. Instead, Mary and Joseph made their way through the physical and emotional journey that led them to an over-full city, the chaos of crowds, and to the rejection that came from their position and poverty. Against a backdrop of political issues that rival any in our world today, and amid the exploitation and evil that seem to pervade human existence, God brought two young people from an out of the way town, to the meager hospitality of an animal stall. It was there, where no one was looking, that God broke though, and the Light of the world was birthed in the darkness. In the midst of chaos, the Prince of Peace was born.

We tend to think our time is different, our challenges unique, but such is not the case. The human condition is still the same, and our brokenness leads to pain and suffering. Evil still tries to have its day, but that is not the end of the story. The good news of the Gospel message is that the darkness does not win. At the end of the day, the light of Christ is victorious! Far more than just a distant hope, it is a promise that the brokenness of our world cannot overcome the wholeness of God. John writes in his Gospel, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (1:5 ESV) That is a tremendous promise and an equally amazing reality!

As I reflected on my feelings about this Advent season, I realized that the real challenge was that I wanted to preserve the sentimentality of the season. God, however, was, and is, far more concerned with the significance of the season. Beyond seeking the warmth of happy Christmas songs and TV specials, God calls us to seek the life-changing power of the Savior. In this unassuming little baby born in Bethlehem, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. And in the face of the worst our world can offer, “His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end.” (Isaiah 9:6-7) That, my friends, is very good news!

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It is clear from the story that missing the point was actually his intention. You do not have to be a theologian, biblical scholar, or psychologist to see that Pilate wanted to dodge the question. Jesus presence and words were searching him and he knew it. Rather than join in that process and come to greater self-discovery, he chose to redirect the conversation and remain comfortable where he was. Sadly, this is a very common, human response. Rather than allowing God to challenge us at a deep level we continually divert the discussion to something else and conveniently avoid that revelation.

I once received a letter from a person who attended the church that I served asking me to change the way I was preaching. She said, “sometimes I leave worship and I don’t feel like a good Christian. I want to come to church, hear that I am doing well and that it is all going to be okay, and I want to leave feeling good.” I feel for her discomfort, but I also know that sometimes we are not okay. Sometimes, the Spirit wants us to be uncomfortable and to look deeply at our lives. It is through this discomfort that we grow stronger in our character and deeper in our insight.

I’ve heard similar concerns about the personal nature of the sermon, or the praise worship, or the prayers. The implication is always similar, “Can’t we just avoid anything that gets too close to home? Let’s just get this church thing over with before it costs me anything or asks me to change.” That, however, is not the way of Christian discipleship.

We dare not simply find people and experiences that tell us we do not need to change or grow. We should be looking for Spirit-led people and Spirit-filled experiences that lead us deeper into truth. Jesus said, “you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. He also said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” In Jesus, we experience truth and that truth will change us. It may not be the truth we expected and it likely will not be what seems popular, but it will be real.

Recently, a number of my Facebook friends posted links to articles that support their particular theological, or political beliefs. Some of the sources were very questionable and the arguments shallow, but they were presented with great passion. They were also affirmed with similar passion by a whole group of like-minded friends. I had two thoughts in response: first, this is very dangerous, and second, God show me where I do the same thing.

We ought to be challenged deeply, but we need to be challenged by the truth. The source of what we take into our thoughts and actions needs to be grounded in God’s truth, not mere popularity. Real truth should lead us closer to God and to the revelation of God given in Holy Scripture and in Jesus Christ. If we are not careful, we can sound like Pilate as we attempt to redefine truth to fit our expectations and desires, to be popular, and to avoid the deep searching of God.

If, however, we will embrace real truth, we will discover the freedom it brings. Like the driver who finally accepts that they need directions to find their way, we may not like what we hear, but we will know exactly where we are, and the real pathway to where we are going. We will find that Jesus really is the truth and the way, and we will so much the better for it.

Truth can be frightening and uncomfortable, but it is also liberating and enables us to find our way to the destiny marked out for us. Pilate asked, “What is truth?” The answer is truth is God’s perspective. Truth is Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever, and that is a wonderful rock on which to stand.

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Watching nature transition from the luscious life of summer to the vibrant beauty of autumn, it is hard to miss that a deeper beauty is revealed in the process of letting go. As the nourishing light begins to diminish, trees struggle to keep their foliage, but even as they lose the battle again, a palate of colors is revealed. Each day loses more sunlight, but that light becomes more dramatic at the same time. Even the composting leaves and grass become richness for the future.

Too often, as we face obstacles in our lives we lose sight of what is on the other side of the challenge. Lost in the drama of the moment, we miss what beautiful thing is being created in us. The test we face is producing a testimony that will bring light to dark spaces and color the gray places.

I do not believe that God causes evil in our lives, but from the painful moments, God can create something wonderful. During an especially difficult time in my life, I shared my challenges with a dear friend. As I poured out the issues before me, he replied, “Just remember, God does his best work in chaos.”

What a wonderful truth. The biblical story even begins there, as the Spirit hovers over the chaos and God says, “Let there be.” In a moment, at the word of God, the disorder begins to take on the order and the beauty of creation. As the story goes on, we find places where Israel’s chaotic experience becomes the setting for God’s recreation. We read of people, great and small, who God leads out of their challenges to new beginnings. Even in the death and resurrection of Jesus we see God redeeming darkness and death to bring forth light and life, and the promise of his future return is the expectation of the ultimate re-creation.

The difficult places of life are never enjoyable and they can feel like they have no end, but God, who declares the end from the beginning, not only sees where our challenges are taking us, but is personally invested in seeing that we get there. When things get tough, it is easy to throw our hands up, sit down and give up, but that is precisely the time when we need to press into God, draw strength from the Spirit and push through the dark valley to the hidden beauty beyond.

Whatever you are facing today, God is more than big enough, more than able to redeem it by using the tough moments to reveal the hidden beauty within you. Have patience. Have hope. The God of all creation is with you, loves you and is speaking words of creation over your life even now.

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Recently, I sat with another pastor who I just met. We were sharing ministry stories, especially discussing our favorite authors and resources. The conversation moved to our sources of inspiration and we began to talk about what motivates us, not only for ministry, but for living the Christian life.

My new friend told me of someone he knew. This person had been through the fire in many ways and certainly had reason to be depressed and discouraged, yet I heard how infectious his joy was and about the impact his happiness had on others. My colleague said to me, “How many pastors do you know, who in their 40’s and 50’s became bitter because of the many wounds they took in ministry? Yet, here is a man who had every reason to feel bitter and he was full of the joy of Christ instead.”

Since that conversation, I continue to reflect on where real happiness comes from. Too many times it seems we connect our happiness with someone or something else. A challenge comes along and we become unhappy. Someone hurts us or speaks against us and we lose our joy. An unexpected event comes along and we throw away our happiness, exchanging it for fear, frustration and anger. Because we tie our happiness to changing and transitory things, our joy is tossed to and fro by every little wave that comes along.

Jesus said, “In this life you will have trouble.” (John 16:33) We should not be surprised by obstacles and opposition, nor should we lose heart in the face of these challenges. Rather, we should hold fast to Christ, celebrate his presence and believe in where his Spirit is leading us, for he also said, “take heart. I have overcome the world.” When our happiness is connected to God, the One who is the same yesterday, today and forever, our joy can be God’s joy and it can remain unwavering in the face of adversity.

One of my favorite verses comes from Psalm 34:19, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” What an amazing promise! It does not deny the reality of our human struggle, but reminds us that, in spite of our challenges, our hope is in the Lord. We may feel overwhelmed, but God is not. There is no terror or timidity in heaven today, no question of what to do. God is seated on the throne and speaking forth the creation of life.

What, then, does it take to be happy? Our answer is found, not in external things, but in an unwavering trust in the Lord of Life. We do not look to our circumstances to determine our attitude. We do not look to the opinions of others to determine the state of our soul. We look to Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith. With our soul at rest in him, we can find unspeakable joy.

Life is too short to be unhappy, especially when the joy of the Lord can be our strength. May our faith rise up and give us joy today as we hold fast to God and know that, in him, we will not be moved.

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I struggled with this for years and still have to bring these thoughts under control. I convinced myself that once I graduated from college, I would feel secure in my position and ready to lead. Following graduation, I revised the plan with a new necessary accomplishment. However, no matter what stage I completed, those feelings never completely took hold. It was not until a good friend encouraged me to look at what I was doing, that I realized that lasting feelings were not ever going to be the result of an accomplishment. Life would always offer challenges and there would always be something waiting in the future with the false promise of secure feelings. My answer was not in my accomplishments, but my attitude.

That is not always easy to hear. We like to believe that our feelings and perspectives are the result of the actions of others or situation we are in. These may influence us, but ultimately, our experience will be shaped by our beliefs and our attitudes.

There is a wonderful story in the book of Acts. The Apostle Paul and Silas are imprisoned for stirring up trouble. It seems that their preaching about Jesus made some people quite upset and the disturbance landed them in jail. This was not just a night in a cell with the promise of, “leave town and don’t come back.” The morning held the real possibility of torture and maybe even death.

Locked in their cell and guarded by the jailer they faced a challenging night. Who could blame them for fear and concern, maybe even a little anger at the people or God for allowing this to happen? This was unfair and not likely what they were expecting. It was exactly the type of situation that leads to discouragement and depression. Yet, that was not their choice. Here, in the face of danger and death, they were singing.

Paul and Silas made a decision. They put their trust in God and lifted their eyes to a bigger picture than their circumstances, to a God who was larger than anything they faced. They allowed their spirits to take the lead and so, looking squarely at their dark reality, they chose to believe, to sing, and to praise in their prison.

The result was not only their spiritual freedom, but their physical freedom as well, and the blessings did not stop there. This witness to their faith changed the lives of others in prison with them, including the guard. Their willingness to rejoice in their unpleasant circumstances changed lives, and continues to do the same as their story is told 2000 years later.

We face prisons of many kinds in life. Some are made with concrete and bars, while others we fashion brick by brick within our minds and spirits. In those confining moments and seasons, we can lament our circumstances, bemoan our misfortune and give up on our future, but there is another choice. We can decide, like Paul and Silas, to offer our praise in spite of our circumstances. We can declare God’s goodness and his divine possibilities in the face of pain and fear. We can believe with action in the presence of the temptation to doubt. We can praise in our prison.

When we release our faith in these moments, cell doors open, we find freedom and the people around us get changed. I once heard a youth speaker say, “People are waiting on the other side of your obedience.” Maybe, they are also waiting on the other side of our praise. May we find the strength in God to praise in our prison and break free in our faith.

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James, Peter and even Jesus spoke about trials and troubles, encouraging us to find joy in the midst of the struggles and to find strength in the knowledge that Christ has overcome the world. In each case, it is clear that trials are an expected part of life, but we have the power of God within us to come through these valleys and do so victoriously.

Recently, I asked a small group I lead the question, “How would you describe a trial?” There was a moment of silence, then one member spoke up, “Trials come from God.” I confess, it was not the answer I expected, but I was intrigued. Typically, people I know do not think God is responsible for difficult things, so I was interested to know what inspired that response.

“God does not tempt us,” he said, “but God does send trials for our own good.” As challenging as that is to some ears, there is tremendous truth in those words. Trials can be tools in the hand of God to shape us, equip us and strengthen us. Just like the effort expended at the gym, our work through trials can strengthen us for the future.

I often struggle accepting this when I face my own trials. Typically, I work to avoid these struggles, but that usually results in frustration; and another trip through the same valley. When I look at these moments as opportunities to better understand who I am and who God is in me, when I embrace my trials as a means to grow in strength and faith, something redemptive begins to emerge.

The best part is that even in the midst of the valley, in the midst of the fire, we are not alone. God is with us. Therefore, we can fear no evil. We can be comforted, and we can make it through. With each step we take, we become stronger and trusting God, we rise to levels of victory in Christ.

While we do not seek trials, when they come into our lives, we can turn to God for direction, power and hope, and by God’s grace we come through. As we embrace the power of resistance and struggle to make us stronger, we accept this part of the training and anticipate the results that will come from it.

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Two weeks ago, as we preparing for our Sunday Worship Service, I was busy connecting my laptop to our LCD projector in order to put some of the key service images before the congregation. I made the connections, turned the power on and then, I waited… and waited. I quickly found myself becoming frustrated at the time it was taking for my electronics to come to life. I soon realized that I was so accustomed to my iPad’s immediate accessibility that I was annoyed by the 60 to 90 second start-up time my computer needed to be ready for action.

I laughed then, and still smile when I think about what that image represents for me and for many others I know. Life moves at tremendous speed, and anything that keeps us from moving with it quickly becomes a frustration. We are overloaded with information and applications. We fill our schedules to overflowing and try to find time for one more thing. There is little time remaining to find, or keep our peace. It reminds me of the saying, “hurry isn’t of the devil, it is the devil,” or as my wife’s family used to say, “if the devil can’t make you sin, he will make you busy.”

In the midst of our hurry, it is hard to tend to, and guard, our hearts. Then, into the rush of our lives, come the challenges and distractions that chip away at our peace. Obstacles that frighten us appear in our path, enemies of body, mind and spirit threaten to attack, and we stand trembling between the two wondering which way to turn.

In one of my favorite Bible passages, the Israelites faced this position in a very physical way. God, through Moses, brought the people out of Egypt. They were filled with awe, joy and peace. That is, until they found themselves pressed up against the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army bearing down upon them. Under attack and with no means of escape, fear took hold and all seemed lost.

It was in the face of these fears and threats that Moses speaks one of the most encouraging words in the Bible. He said, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:13-14)

Just picture the image. All the odds are against you, but then you hear the promise that God himself will fight for you. For your part, you need only be still. Several translations say, “you need only hold (keep) your peace.” The battle really is the Lord’s. Our part is to hold onto our peace. Fixing our faith on Almighty God we grasp the peace we are given and hold on until the Lord delivers us.

The Bible talks of the, “peace that passes all understanding,” and Jesus even told his disciples that he was leaving his followers his peace. Throughout all of John 14, we hear the resounding call, “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not let them be afraid.” It is the very peace of Christ that keeps us in the face of challenge and adversity. Our task is merely to hold on as we watch the deliverance of the Lord.

It is easy to get caught up in our circumstances, or intimidated by life’s challenges, but fixing our eyes on these things only leads to surrendering our peace. When we fix our eyes on God, and put our trust in him, we can find peace in the midst of the greatest storm and we can hold fast to that peace while God brings us safely through to the other side.

Guard your peace. Be strong in the Lord, for the Lord will fight for you; you need only keep your peace.

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