Job CCX

Speaking of my wife’s job, nearly half of her clients are individuals who, having tried to fix it themselves, realized they were in over their heads, and in trying to make it better, they just ended up making it worse. I mean, how difficult can it really be? A wall here, a buttress there, a vaulted ceiling and some arched doorways, and you’re in business.

After months, if not years, of wasted effort, money, and time, they had to swallow their pride and admit they couldn’t do it on their own; they had neither the skill nor the ability to carry out the project and make come to fruition what they imagined in their minds, and finally sought the help of a professional.

The hard truth they faced was that not only would they have to redesign their adobe, but they also had to tear down the things they had tried to do themselves because they were incongruent with the project as a whole.

Spiritually speaking, many today follow the same path, fall in the same snare, and not only do they have to be built up from the ground up, but they also have to undo and unlearn all the things they tried on their own before they came to the realization they couldn’t do it on their own.

Raise your hand, say this prayer, send a check, and you’re good to go! But what about being discipled? What about having some notion of the direction I’m supposed to be headed in? Do you perchance have a blueprint or a general outline of what the end result should look like? Oh, I’m sure you can figure it out. I’ve got to go make fifty videos about how a thousand people got saved the other night, so I’m a little tight on time, but make sure to like, comment, and subscribe to the videos I’ll be putting out. Engagement is essential, and the algorithm rewards participation.

But what about growing, maturing, and understanding the deeper things of Scripture? What about going beyond the milk of the Word to something denser? Oh, you know, just feel your way through it. It’s like telling someone to go buy lumber, nails, and a hammer, then once they’ve done that, expecting them to build a craftsman home from the ground up with no instruction, direction, or idea of what it should look like. Then we’re shocked that so many are spiritually stunted, have no relationship with the God they claim to serve, or have never approached Him after that one night when they said the sinner’s prayer in a hushed tone.

To be fair, there’s also the other side of the coin, wherein people who’ve never held a hammer or used a saw are keen on telling you how to build your own house. They got saved on a Tuesday, and by Friday, they’re reimagining Scripture, questioning the purpose of Christ’s being born, insisting that He is not sufficient, and there’s a plethora of other things you need to do to be saved, then declare themselves prophets to the nations which you must obey as though it were God Himself standing before you asking you to give generously.

It’s like taking marriage advice from newlyweds on their honeymoon. What do you know about it, exactly? I’m sure for the week you’re on a beach, waking up every morning with the sun warming your face with no worries and no concerns, it’s as easy as a Sunday morning, but let’s talk after a decade or two, a couple of health scares, a miscarriage, conversations about budgeting, or having to care for your wife or husband for an extended period of time while they’re bedridden.

Perhaps then, it won’t seem so easy, but it doesn’t mean it’s not worth it. Nothing worth having in life comes easy. That’s just a sales pitch that unscrupulous people resort to when trying to get you to buy their course. A seven-figure passive income without a dollar out of pocket? Sign me up. The course costs five grand? What about the no out-of-pocket money thing? Oh, you mean after I give you the five grand? Got it, thanks.

A warrior does not become seasoned in a vacuum. A warrior becomes seasoned through battle, building upon the experiences of having stood toe to toe with the enemy and not flinching away. Seasoning, maturing, or growing in God, for that matter, takes time, even if it’s not what some might want to hear. It’s not about a diploma or a certificate of completion of some online seminary; it’s about lived experience and walking with God purposefully and consistently.

Your faith in God grows and expands as you journey through life following after Him. Had Job not had his lived experience regarding the faithfulness of God as a foundation, it would have been a short book indeed. Two chapters in, and Job would have been vanquished, his doubt overwhelming any desire to endure, but this was a seasoned warrior, one who had seen the hand of God at work time and time again, and who understood finishing a race is as important as starting it, if not more so.

The glory, the reward, the culmination of one’s labors in life are at the finish line. It’s the desire to hear well done, good and faithful servant that makes the trials, hardships, and valleys of life tolerable, while having the added benefit of refining us, maturing us, and teaching us reliance on the God we serve. I know my Redeemer lives. Five words that resonate with every believer. Five words the contemplation of which could fill entire libraries. Five words that give us hope in the midst of despair, that provide us with peace in the midst of chaos, and that give us joy in the midst of heartbreak.

You can know all there is to know about moon cycles, constellations, ancient civilizations, and the letter of the law, but if you do not know that your Redeemer lives, it’s all for naught. Job knew! Although his flesh was withering, his servants abandoned him, his friends judged him harshly without evidence or merit, Job knew his Redeemer lived, and that gave him the strength to press on.  

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr.