Switch

Do you remember that State Farm commercial where they asked us what life would be like if nothing went wrong? They showed cars driving every which way through the intersection and kids riding their bikes through traffic. The point was that this is not reality and ultimately, we need to buy their insurance. In his book, Kill the Spider, Carlos Whittaker talks about the State Farm commercial in relation to our relationship with Jesus.

He says, “Unfortunately, this is what we expect to get when we say yes to Jesus. And although it may feel like this for a hot minute, this isn’t truth-at least not this side of Heaven. It won’t ever be true, but man do we want it to be true. So often we come out on the other side of a tragedy completely giving up on God because our feelings do not match our dreams. But this unraveling of truth, although gut-wrenching and terrifying, is the beginning of getting to real truth-a truth that doesn’t depend on your feelings and that will allow you to face your spider with strength, not fight it with a nerf gun.”

Many of us are led to believe or convince ourselves that the moment we believe in Jesus is the moment everything will be rectified. We think that when we invite Jesus into our lives we will have full understanding of this faith thing; like a light switch flips on and we are all-knowing and completely healed.

This is not truth.

When we are new to the faith, we think believing in Jesus is it. We did our deed and life should be void of trials, tribulations, challenges, and pain. Believing in Jesus becomes our destination instead of the beginning of our journey.

Crossing the line of faith is not just a flip of a switch. It is the pop of a gun at the starting line. You just entered the race.

We give up on God far too easily because we believe in the switch instead of the race.

Our destination is not here on earth. Our finish line lands us in Heaven and hopefully out of breath. Finding Jesus is just the beginning of the exquisite, beautiful, messy mingling of life and faith.

I wish we could all enter the intersection without fear of an accident. But, as it turns out, we still need insurance. Our insurance, thankfully, doesn’t lie here on earth but in Jesus. He will be with us when we feel like we are stalled in the intersection with cars coming at us from every direction. He sustains us when we lose the stamina to get to the finish line. And he will meet us when we cross through that ribbon out of breath on our final day. We just need to trust him.

Faith isn’t just a switch that can be flipped. It’s the most beautiful, yet intense, adventure EVER. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.… Hebrews 12:1-2

Love & Blessings,

Meg