Americans are
notoriously footloose. They restlessly seek a new place, a new opportunity. “Elbow room,” says Daniel Boone as he
moves on, so goes the story. The average
American family moves every 5 to 7 years, looking for a better life. The Christian people I know, with rare
exception, have been in and out of several churches, even while living in the
same area, in a search for a spiritual high, better worship, or different
preaching. Even the covenant of marriage
is abrogated in the search for a partner who will be more suitable to our
current desires.
The Word lauds a
quality of character- steadfastness.
This describes those who, because of faith in the call of God and trust in His
design, choose to stay put, work out the will of their Father, and find joy in
the present rather than chasing it somewhere else. They are ‘stickers.’ “In the words of Wendell Berry, a student of
Stegner's, stickers are people who "settle, and love the life they have
made and the place they have made it in." America's first great
theologian, Jonathan Edwards, spent much of his life serving in a single small
parish. Presbyterian theologian B. B. Warfield spent nearly his entire adult
life in Princeton, New Jersey, where he taught at the university and cared for
his sick wife. The late Dallas Willard taught and ministered in the same
philosophy department for nearly five decades.”
(Jake Meador, Christianity Today, September, 2013)
In his famed Psalm
of confession, David prayed "Create
in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast
spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10, NIV) His restlessness led to an
affair, a pregnancy, a conspiracy, and the proxy murder of his friend! Certainly his wandering eye created a lot of
drama. Now, he prays for God’s help to settle down and live rightly. In the 112th Psalm, we read of the
reward of those who are steadfast. "Blessed
is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands. … He
will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph
on his foes." (Psalm 112:1, 7-8, NIV) Yes, there is a security found in radical
faith, a willingness to trust the Lord in the present, rather than running off
for some new situation.
Isaiah reinforces
the fact that true steadfastness is not merely stubbornness; it is faith in
action. "You will keep in perfect
peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD
forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal." (Isaiah 26:3-4,
NIV) Peter teaches us to throw our
worries on the Lord, to wait for Him expectantly. What happens? "And the God of all grace, who called you to
his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will
himself restore you and make you strong,
firm and steadfast." (1 Peter 5:10, NIV)
Are you struggling
to find joy in your present set of circumstances?
Does it seem that
a better life must be out there, somewhere, with someone new, in a bigger city,
a smaller town?
Do you believe
that you will be more fulfilled if only … ?
Instead of praying
for a new place, how about asking the Lord for a new heart, one that is
steadfast in trust in Him? Ask for the
kind of faith that lets Him lead, even if He says, “Stay put. Be steadfast.
Remain faithfulness.” With that kind of
faith, buck the trend and become a ‘sticker.’ You will find His promise true: “his heart is steadfast, trusting in the
LORD. His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in
triumph on his foes."
___________
A Perfect Heart
Morning sun, light of creation.
Grassy fields, a velvet floor.
Silver clouds, a shimmering curtain.
He's designed a perfect world!
I'm amazed at His talents,
Stand in awe of One so great.
Now my soul begins to sing out,
To the source from which it came.
Bless the Lord who reigns in beauty.
Bless the Lord,
Who reigns with wisdom and with power.
Bless the Lord,
Who reigns my life with so much love,
He can make a perfect heart.
Dony McGuire |
Reba Rambo
© 1981 Bud John
Songs, Inc. (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
Makanume Music
(Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
Ooh's and Ah's
Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
CCLI License #
810055
3 comments:
Thanks for raising this very complex issue, Jerry. Where would we be, for instance, if Abraham had not moved to Canaan but had instead remained a steadfast citizen of Ur? It is a matter of accurate discernment, isn't it? Is the urge to get "unstuck" a call from God, or just our own inner longing for something different or something better? I guess we cannot absolutely know that until the day when all things are revealed. Is it better to err on the side of steadfastness? Probably. I know that I will always be grateful to a friend of mine who taught me how to be a better "sticker."
David J.
Following God's call does require discernment. I have 'moved on' a few times in life. When He leads, I find joy, even in the trials. When I run, I find only more restlessness. Thanks for reading along, dear friend.
It is easy being a "sticker" when wealthy, interesting, and funny friends desire your company and are an important part of your life. Boring, sinful, losers easily slip away.
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