North Texas has been unapologetically hot lately (and yes, I know we’re still pre-heating).
Not just hot, humid…which I should be used to being I’m a Southeastern Louisiana transplant. It’s the kind of humid that hangs in the air like a heavy blanket before the sun has even fully introduced itself. The air is thick and musty, as if you have to push your way through it just to breathe. It’s the kind of weather that makes you question every life decision that brought you outside.
A few weeks ago, I made a commitment to myself to spend more time moving outdoors. Nothing extravagant, just intentional time walking each morning before the day begins.
So there I was.
6:30 in the morning.
I figured I was beating the heat.
I was wrong.
Fifteen minutes into my walk, my shirt was soaked through. Sweat rolled down my face and arms as though I’d been exercising for hours instead of minutes. By the time I finished my first mile, every excuse I could think of sounded completely reasonable.
You’ve already walked a mile. That’s enough for today. Go home.
I was fully prepared to turn around. Before I did, a thought crossed my mind that stopped me in my tracks.
What if we served a God who gave up every time He got tired?
What if He stopped pursuing us every time we inconvenienced Him?
What if He withdrew His grace every time we chose disobedience?
What if His faithfulness depended on our consistency?
The answer is both obvious and sobering. We wouldn’t stand a chance! The reality is that we are infinitely farther from God’s standard than I was from finishing my walk. His holiness is absolute. His righteousness is perfect. Left to ourselves, we could never bridge that gap.
That is precisely why Christ came.
“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8, NIV
Jesus didn’t wait until we became stronger, more disciplined, or more obedient. He met us in our weakness. As I continued walking, another realization settled into my heart. Sometimes I spend so much energy trying to become the kind of Christian God desires that I subtly begin believing it’s my responsibility to manufacture that transformation.
I try harder.
Pray longer.
Read more.
Convince myself I’m doing better.
While those disciplines matter, they were never meant to be the source of my strength. The Christian life isn’t sustained by determination. It’s sustained by dependence. The standard God calls us to isn’t something we can achieve through grit or self-discipline. If that were possible, the cross would have been unnecessary. Instead, God calls us to surrender—to allow His Spirit to accomplish in us what we could never accomplish on our own.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5, NIV
Nothing.
Not “less.”
Not “a little.”
Nothing!
That word has a way of humbling every ambitious heart. The more I lean into my walk with Christ, the more I realize that spiritual maturity isn’t becoming increasingly independent. It’s becoming increasingly aware of just how much I need Him.
For every act of obedience…
For every ounce of patience…
For every difficult conversation…
For every temptation resisted…
For every opportunity to love someone who isn’t easy to love…
None of it is accomplished by my own strength. It is His power working through surrendered people. Ironically, I finished my walk that morning. Not because the weather suddenly changed. Not because I became stronger, but because I simply kept taking the next step. Maybe that’s what God is inviting us to do today.
Not to prove ourselves.
Not to perform.
Not to convince Him we’re worthy.
Just to stay connected to the One whose power never runs dry.
Because when our strength runs out, His never does.
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