Continue. Seems to be an easy word to accomplish. IT IS NOT. The entire world is going to tell you that you are crazy for conducting a journey like the one you want. It is in these times you need to persevere more than ever. Paul often wrote about perseverance. He mainly wrote things like “I have not taken hold of it yet”. This implies the simple truth, even if you are as great of a minister as Paul, there is always room for improving.
The continuation step will come far after the contention step. It is still a very important step in this process and journey. The journey is not something that ends. I often confuse people with that. “Brent, you said it was only supposed to take 6 months.” False. I said you should set aside 6 months to pour into your journey. Your journey never ends. If you do not take this small step of taking the time to begin a journey with Christ, you will never understand the journey you are on.
YOU MUST PUSH FORWARD, YOU MUST PROCEED. This is reminded to me as I watch movies with great battle scenes. Keep moving forward. The motto from the Marines, “first in and last to leave”, for your battle with coming to grips with where you are with Christ, you should have that motto. It is not going to be something you can complete in 6 months. It will actually take you near 6 months to even get started, and that is assuming you are actually growing in those beginning months. The point is, this journey is long. Many are those that undertake it, few are the ones that receive the rewards from it. Be part of the few.
I often compare this journey to rock climbing. A lot of people will look at the rock. There are some who dare to strap in and hook up a harness and climb the rock. There are fewer still that will make it to the top. The thing with rock climbing is this: it’s about the climb. The higher you get the harder it gets. Sometimes you fall, but you still climb. You still move forward, you still try to reach new heights. That is the journey. CONTINUE the journey, even after you think you have gotten it down.
————————
Food for thought: In my life personally, I have been working on the renewing of my mind. There are two reasons for this: 1. it helps significantly for me to stay pure in thought as my thoughts were becoming impure, 2. every other word was beginning to be a “that’s what she said” joke. I started investigating my heart and mind and started to make it a point to clear my world of those hints of sexual impurity. God asks for not even a hint, you see. This battle has lasted me about three months, and I am still often fighting it. There are days back and forth were I struggle and succeed. The point is, my journey of 6 months ended 2 years ago almost, but I am continuing the journey I set out on. Gear up, its not a one night stand thing, it’s a life dedication through marriage thing.
leadershape 