What Now?

Before you start reading this post, I’d like to take a moment to introduce our special guest writer. She is my most loyal supporter in my writing pursuits and a wise teammate. She is also the one who reads all my posts before I put them online—checking my grammar, punctuation, and ideas. She is an amazing writer, my best friend, and my beautiful wife, Heather. I’m super excited to have her write this week’s post! Enjoy!

Have you ever hiked to the top of a peak and beheld the thrill of a breathtaking view? Experienced a glorious sunset that simply inspires your soul? Maybe you’ve shared a special moment with a friend and you didn’t want it to end. We all want those feelings to continue. But you must come down from the mountain. The sunset fades to the dark of night. Eventually, the moment is broken. And the question begs to be asked, what now?

Sometimes, we feel this in our relationship with God. Easter, Resurrection Sunday, “the Superbowl of Christianity” arrives and our hearts are strengthened, convicted, enlivened, perhaps for the very first time. But then a week goes by, if we’re lucky, maybe a month, and we often fall into or become overwhelmed by our routines (whatever that looks like these days!) and the “sparkle” of the Holy Spirit’s presence begins to fade. These are often referred to as “mountaintop experiences,” and it’s easy to get sucked back into the world if we’re not persistent in our walk with Christ.

But What’s The Point?

God sent His Son, “who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the very form of a servant . . . He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6-8). The bottom line of Easter is this: Jesus came to earth, not in the position of King He so rightly deserved, but as a humble servant. He came and took the penalty we so rightly deserved – a criminal’s humiliating, grueling death. He was buried, but rose from the grave on the third day! He did this so we could stand before our Maker forgiven, fully loved and embraced. That is thrilling to the soul.

Some of us are consistent by nature. We’re not prone to emotional highs or lows. Some of us (like me) are more easily swept up in the power of a moment. The point of Easter Sunday and the week leading up to it, however, is not about temporarily filling me up emotionally (and it’s certainly not about the Easter bunny). We celebrate Easter because we are prone to forget and need to be reminded of what has been done on our behalf.

Maybe this was the first Easter the Lord brought clarity to your heart and drew you to Himself. Maybe it’s just another one for the books. Regardless, we never want to walk away from Easter with a “once and done” mentality. So what are some ways to practice regular remembrance?

Seeking Jesus

Life with Christ is not about following a set of dos and don’ts. It’s about relationship. But just as I won’t have a blossoming marriage if I’m not pursuing my husband, and I won’t know how my friend is doing if I don’t ask, I won’t have a healthy relationship with God if I’m not seeking Him. He’s provided a few things to help us grow in Him.

The Word

The first place to start is the Bible. God gave us His word, written by 40 men, preserved over the course of 1,000 years, so we could hear from Him (if you’re interested in learning more, check out 4 Things To Know About The Bible). While there are other avenues God speaks through, this is the primary and infallible point of reference. We can’t begin to know God without knowing His Word. A great place to start is the book of John. There are also a plethora of Bible-reading apps with plans to get you started (we love the YouVersion Bible app!). You don’t have to tackle the whole Bible in a week – as if you could! Just start with a couple verses a day.

Prayer

C.S. Lewis said “I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time – waking and sleeping. It does not change God – it changes me.” We are truly helpless on our own. But prayer is more than just asking for help. It’s communing with God. It’s savoring His presence. Sometimes that involves words, and sometimes it involves “’groanings which cannot be uttered.” A resource that has encouraged me is a pamphlet called “Seven Minutes With God: How To Plan A Daily Quiet Time.” It has helped me structure my time with the Lord, so I don’t succumb to excuses of “no time” or fall into the trap of praying with the focus on myself.

Community

In these formidable times, the word “community” likely brings with it a tide of emotions, namely, loss. Our relational God made us a relational people, and as Christians, we are commanded not to forsake community (Hebrews 10:25). While we can’t physically be together right now, God, in His grace, has provided so many ways for us to continue meeting together and connecting with one another. Our church has set up a weekly livestream “City Group,” when we pray together and connect in a way that only the Holy Spirit can bring about in this season. There are so many churches to connect with! Don’t hesitate to reach out.

If there’s anything I’ve learned from my walk with Christ – and life in general! – it’s you can’t put a formula on anything. I can read my Bible daily, donate to charity, and be kind to my neighbors, but unless I’m humbling myself before the Lord, and allowing the Spirit to do the work, there’s no fruit, and life will continually be a series of temporary highs and inevitable lows. And while there will always be seasons when we feel closer to the Lord and times when we allow ourselves to be swept away with the mundane, by setting aside time each day, we create room for the Lord to work and draw us closer to Himself.

We’d love to hear how you’re doing and connect with you! Pop into the comments below, or shoot us an email. We’re here for you!