Moving Forward

January 31, 2009

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

I’d rather have the pain of moving forward than the pain of stagnation. God loves and accepts you right where you are, but He doesn’t want you to stay stuck there.

When you become a Christian, you change and then you become a change agent to impact others’ lives. Some of you are encumbered by so many variables, and the stresses of life have been wearing you down, but don’t let the devil make you back away from a tenacity to push forward. Lift up your head, because Jesus has things figured out.

Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4

As I’m advocating change, I’m talking about getting ready for increase. The purpose of the change is not about personal comfort, but about reaching souls. People who have been disinterested in the things of God are becoming interested because they have been shaken. Now we need to be ready. Nations and hearts that were closed are opening up, and God wants to gear you up to answer the problems in other people’s lives. This is not a spectator sport but the proper working of each individual part (Ephesians 4:16).

At some point you need to decide to trust God. Instead of succumbing to all the worries of the world, stay engaged in the presence of God and spend some more time in the secret place where you’ll find rest (Matthew 11:28). As you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you (James 4:8). And, as you wait upon the Lord, you’ll gain new strength (Isaiah 40:31). This Christian life of change and moving forward is not for the elite few—it is accessible to all who seek God.

Press forward!

Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2009 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.