“For physical training is of some value, but godliness (spiritual training) is of value in everything and in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and for the life to come.”
(1 Timothy 4:8, AMP)
I learned the hard way how not to minister to others. With the last two people I tried to help, I walked alongside them, taking on their problems like a project. I fed them Scripture and prayed over them continually. Because I did all the work, they never learned to feed themselves with the Word nor seek God on their own. Very little fruit, if any, was produced in them. They would acknowledge the nuggets of truth and wisdom, even regurgitate it back to me, but they weren’t seeing Scripture as their own life preserver. Burnout cannot happen fast enough when you try to carry someone else’s spiritual growth.
Haven’t we all done the same thing? We get tired. We get weary. It’s easier to complain about our problems, seek people’s comfort, and sometimes even wallow in self-pity. I find myself getting into this cycle from time to time. When others assist in my problems, I feel better for a time. But soon again, I get back on the same path of needing others to “fix me” and my problems. As much as we would like an instant intervention for our problems, God is the only one who can produce a lasting, changing work, that which is impossible with man.
Should we seek guidance from those more wise than us? Absolutely. This is what Scripture says about seeking out advice:
“Without consultation and wise advice, plans are frustrated,
But with many counselors they are established and succeed” (Proverbs 15:22, AMP).
I have found much wisdom among other people. I don’t know what I would have done without their godly advice. Usually the advice is instruction for the next steps in addressing the problem I have or just plainly reminding me to trust God because the situation is totally out of my hands. Hard trials can put me into a whirlwind of confusion fast and may even blur my vision on the facts of the scenario. Sometimes we need direction and/or redirection because we are too close to the problem, and we need an outsider to help us see things clearly.
Seeking advice and sometimes even venting in a safe place with others isn’t wrong; it can be part of the steps in healing, restoration, and growth. But others cannot do the work of maturation in us. Take for instance the benefits of investing in your physical body, i.e. working out, eating healthy, etc. Trainers can suggest a special diet and exercise plan for you, but who ultimately does the work? Most of us have a clear understanding of the effort, time, and energy it takes to improve the physical body. We also must understand it takes the same kind of effort spiritually; the hard part is pressing on with faithful persistence. We must own our spiritual growth by surrounding ourselves with the body of Christ, spending time with His people, getting in the Word, and maturing in our salvation.
How to Persist in the Faith
-Continue to regularly attend the church you call home even in the times when you don’t feel like going (Hebrews 10:24-25, NKJV).
-Commit to a small group weekly where you are around believers and people with the same mindset that God is good. Negativity is sure to lurk in the unknown and dark places of your problems, especially when those problems last for a longer season (1 Corinthians 12:12-27, NIRV; Psalm 33:4, NIV and NLT).
-Stay in God’s Word, substituting lies with truths and God’s promises (John 17:17, AMP).
-Continue to work out your own salvation. Learn what God is trying to show you in your trials. He is growing you up in Him to will, to work, and to walk out your assigned purpose for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13, AMP).