The Challenge of Doing Well

                I’ve recently begun reading “Morning and Evening” by Charles Spurgeon.  As the name suggests, it is a series of morning and evening readings for the year.  The other week, the reading spoke of the difficulty of living right when things are going well.  This is something I am all too familiar with.

                One of my biggest struggles with the Christian life is praying consistently.  Of course, this is rather easy to do when times are tough and hard when times are good.  As Spurgeon notes, “there are many who know ‘how to be abased’ who have not learned ‘how to abound.’”  It’s this weird paradox that when life is the most difficult, trusting God becomes easy.  Of course, when life is the most difficult we are stripped of our sense of security.  We are hanging at the end of our rope and we know, we know, that Christ is our only safety net.  And so we pray.

The first time I lost my job, I knew how to earnestly pray for a job.  When we found out that we had an infertility issue, I knew how to plead with God for healing.  When we found out that Renee had a bleed with this pregnancy, I knew how to pray for more healing.  When her water broke and we thought we were going to lose our child, I knew how to pray for divine intervention.  Hanging on for dear life at the end of my rope is easy because I know the one and only source of my salvation.  At the end of the rope, it quickly becomes apparent that I am going to have to let go and fall into the arms of God.

                It’s that abundant life thing I haven’t figured out.  When we were both working and living well and planning fun trips, what did I need to pray for?  When life is good, I can make it on my own, right?  I don’t need any divine guidance; I’m doing just fine finding my own way.  I like the way Spurgeon puts it.  “When we have much of God’s providential mercies, it often happens that we have but little of God’s grace, and little gratitude for the bounties we have received.  We are full and we forget God: satisfied with earth, we are content to do without heaven.”

                Spurgeon’s words struck a chord with me.  It hit me hard because it so precisely describes me.  When life is good my prayer life slacks off.  Devotional reading disappears.  My walk devolves into a slow crawl sustained only by being in church on Sunday morning.

                Our walk with Christ is not supposed to look like that.  Sure, when life is tough, pray for a new job, healing, deliverance, whatever it is you need.  When life is good, keep praying – for those who need jobs, healing, peace, deliverance, etc; for ways in which God can use you for His glory; for new opportunities to grow deeper in your faith; for whatever it is that weighs on your heart.  Life on this side of eternity is not, nor ever will be, perfect.  There will always be someone or something to pray for.