Holy Tension

We sometimes think commitment and clarity go hand-in-hand. That to be faithful, we need to be certain and decisive. But some of the most important seasons of growth come when we are holding commitment and questions at the same time. I feel like I've been called to be a teacher, but I don't know if I can do this until retirement.

This in-between-space, this TENSION, is often where God is doing the deepest shaping of our lives. It is the work we do not see when we're praying for answers and signs that we're headed in the right direction.

Life often doesn't make sense while we are living it, but, of course, it almost always makes sense in reverse. Faith means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse. These are words spoken by my Pastor not too long ago. He equated life to being a thousand tiny puzzle pieces that we wish we could, all at once, see put together as a complete picture in order to make sense of it. But there is not spiritual growth in this. There is no harvest.

So, if you feel torn, uncertain, unsettled, and/or desperate for more puzzle pieces so your struggles make more sense, keep stepping forward in faith. God is inviting you to trust Him more deeply. Faith is not leaping into dark but stepping confidently into His promises that will be fulfilled in His perfect time. "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised" -Hebrews 10:36.