First Step Pain

Gus Dietz

This is my youngest grandchild, Gus.  ADORABLE!!  Gus is 14-months-old and not quite brave enough yet to let go of chairs to step out across the floor.  He walks around furniture with the best of them!  Why hasn't he let go?  Well, I haven't been around him 24/7, but I imagine there have been a few moments of letting go and spiraling out of control--even hurting himself.  Gus is a very cautious guy and has probably learned from his pain. 

Just like Gus has learned pain from his first steps, we often learn pain from our first steps spiritually.  God may ask us to tell someone about Him and when we do, they reject the message.  It very much feels like they've rejected us and we just don't want to be put in that situation again, so we just walk around the furniture for the rest of our lives.  Or God may ask us to stand and speak truth in front of a large crowd of people and when we do, they emotionally stone us.  And we revert back to creeping.  We are constantly reminded of what that pain feels like and the enemy tells us to never put ourselves in that position again.

We're all going to fall as we learn to walk spiritually.  The problem is that the enemy wants us to think it's fatal--or to make it painful enough that we become overwhelmed with fear and never truly learn how to walk.  We have to remind ourselves that pain is a natural consequence of learning to walk--not a reminder to keep us walking around furniture--but a tool to guide us as we learn to put one foot in front of the other correctly.

I foresee a day in the very near future when Gus is going to let go and race across the room!  And when he does, we're going to cheer and clap--it will mean he has grown and overcome his fear.  (It will also mean his mom is going to become much busier!)  It's so much fun to watch a baby grow--whether it's physically or spiritually.  Don't be afraid to let go and do what God tells you to do!  You may fall...but don't let the fear cripple you.