All on the Field: A Good Soldier—Having Focus - Monday
Hebrews 5:8
Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. (NLT)
When we talk about leaving it all on the field, perhaps the hardest context for that discussion is when we’re focusing on the battlefields of life. Whether it’s a literal war zone or the everyday struggles life throws our way, leaving it all on the field is going to cost us something. And it just might hurt a little.
A mentor of mine introduced me to this nugget of wisdom: “We tend to not change until we experience a sufficient amount of pain.” It’s certainly turned out to be true in my life. Pain has been gut-wrenching at times and even challenged my ability to trust when it didn’t make sense, but it’s never been wasted. I find hope in the midst of it when I remember how faithful God has shown Himself to be.
I can’t answer why, but perhaps today’s scripture from Hebrews offers the best answer of all. The fact that Jesus, the Son of God, suffered… reminds me we’re not alone. And the fact that it served a purpose in His life encourages me to remember to look for meaning in my own struggles.
In my experience, the battle usually comes down to a point of decision—a choice to trust God. We’re not talking about mindless, thoughtless obedience here. The pathway is fraught with bitterness and frustration when we don’t “feel” like choosing to hold on a bit longer, or wait and pray persistently, or do the right thing that’s so hard to do. But our choices teach us over time, if we let them. And as it settles into our hearts that God’s way is the best way and He’ll always be faithful—even (and especially) through suffering—we discover that we know why we’re choosing to do the next right thing in front of us, because we now know the cost of the alternative.
The process of maturing, failing forward, and growing stronger in our life with Jesus is called discipleship. We pay focused attention to our lives and experiences, and we learn from them. We watch how Jesus does life, and we emulate Him. We hear from God’s Word and teaching, we process in community with other followers of Jesus, and we respond, living out what we have learned to be right and good. That’s obedience, and it’s the best pathway we can choose to follow.
Monday’s Reflection
How would you rate the choices you’ve been making recently? What are these choices producing, whether for good or ill in your life? Sometimes God speaks through our circumstances. If He were speaking, what might He be saying to you and/or inviting you toward?
