Front Line Faith by John Avant

Comfort is killing us. 

Recently, I have been in places where it is hard to be a follower of Jesus. Sometimes it's just hard to live at all…places like the garbage dump city in Ethiopia. Yet, I have been struck by the faith of the people who live in very difficult places.  Their faith isn’t about their life becoming better or easier but it is about the mission and glory of God!

This is not the case in the Western church, particularly in the Bible belt. I am concerned that our faith is being molded into a self-help movement.  

So much of our music and teaching revolves around deliverance from our anxieties, depression, disease, and how to lift our spirits to a happier place.  Jesus does care about all of those things. But it seems that in the American church we are in danger of thinking that the purpose of our faith is to make our life easier.  

Where Jesus followers are multiplying most rapidly, no one has that problem! No one in Iran  thinks that following Jesus will make their life easier! It will likely send them to prison or death. Yet they are doing it anyway by the millions, anywhere there is persecution.

What should we do?

Ask the Lord to help you view your Christian life like a soldier on mission rather than a patient needing a doctor. 

You may say, “But I DO need a doctor!  I’m wounded and broken.” 

You are stronger than you think!

“For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭29‬ ‭

HIS energy is in you!  You will be wounded along the way, but you fight with the strength and the mission of a mighty warrior! 

That is a much better way to approach your spiritual life. 

At the end of Paul’s life, he does not thank God for making his life easier.  He says:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬ ‭

God gives this crystal-clear challenge to all of us:

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”  Ephesians 6:12

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We just returned from Spokane, Washington where we attended Resonate, a conference that brings students together from 15 different universities in the Pacific Northwest.  God is doing amazing things there. I had the privilege of speaking at this conference for the second year in a row.

Last year every night that I was there, I had demonic dreams like nothing I have ever experienced.  And then after I finished speaking, in the middle of the night, I went into a heart arrhythmia. I ended up being put under anesthesia and had my heart shocked! I have never had anything like that in my life and I’ve experienced nothing like it in over a year since. My cardiologist is a little puzzled by this strange one time event. 

When I stood up to speak this year, my voice almost disappeared! It was all I could do to finish speaking.  When I finished my voice returned to normal!

Now these experiences are obviously concerning. I could find this frustrating or frightening. But I have come to find them exciting!

I want to be doing something that is significant enough in the kingdom for the enemy to fight against it!

So we are doubling down on our commitment to this part of the country where God is clearly at work. 

What about you? Is your faith compelling you to the front lines?

Ask God to take you there! It’s OK to be nervous. But it’s not OK to be spiritually timid. 

Here’s the good news. 

That peace you are looking for? That comfort in all of our emotional struggles that we sing so much about these days? It’s there for you, too! 

It’s not found while we’re retreating. It’s found at the front lines.

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”  John‬ ‭16‬:‭33‬ ‭

Lord, take us with you today to the front lines! Give us a life worthy of being opposed by the devil! We thank you and praise you for the peace that passes all understanding that you will give us in the fight, until the day we see the final victory and see you face-to-face!”