Consistency. Steadfastness. Long suffering. Endurance.
Call it what you will, sometimes this idea of faith is just plain hard. Boring, sometimes. Doing the same thing over and over, fighting the same fights--sometimes winning and sometimes losing. Struggling, struggling, struggling with no end in sight. After a while, it starts to wear you down.
Know what I mean?
Our hero Christian has eyes which can truly see. He has faced the Dragon, that embodiment of evil. He knows the battle is coming, and has prepared his weapons for war. Do you know what he has to do now?
Wait. Endure. Have faith.
The battles do not come when we expect them. The Dragon does not announce his intention to attack. No, he is much wiser than that. He knows our weaknesses. He knows we often falter when the road gets long. He knows it will be hard for Christian to stay focused on the Spirit World when the "Real World" is so full of distractions.
You see, Christian gets bored. Just like you and me. And there lies the danger.
Faith is not only hard when the mountains are high, the valleys deep, the storms strong. In fact, for some, those difficult times make faith easier. Its a challenge, you see. Spiritual warfare is exciting, exhilarating. You could say that Christian is a spiritual adrenaline junkie. He's never closer to God than when the Dragon attacks.
But when the road is smooth, the path easy? Christian starts looking for side roads. He prefers a shortcut, a direct path to the next hurdle. Sometimes he doesn't like the journey. He's more about the destination.
How about you? When do you struggle in your relationship with God? When life is hard, or when everything seems to be going well?
Don't answer too quickly. Think about it. You might be surprised by the answer.
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