From 1985 - 1988 my summer job during college was tree-planting and for a couple of those seasons I was the foreman of a crew of about 20 guys . . . Which meant I was responsible for getting them and their equipment to the site where we would plant . . . . Now, . . . we often planted in very remote areas . . . which created major difficulties traveling on poor roads and in all types of weather . . .
One site that I can remember was deep in the mountain wilderness somewhere near Quesnel, B. C. Typical conditions - rain, ice melt runoff had created muddy conditions and swollen rivers . . . pretty treacherous . . . On this particular job - we had about 5 miles to travel - 3 of which were in the mud - 2 being mud along side steep and severe cliffs and we had 2 small creeks to cross and one larger river . . . (no big deal). First day - built a temporary bridge - (only 7 days of work). Rocks/logs . . . (river was to deep) (ice melting above).
Bridge worked great - but when you crossed that bridge . . . you had to stick to the logs and rocks or the current would take you and it would be too deep . . .
Well - Day 2 - 3 - 4 - and 5 great - nearly done the job. Day 6 - (it had warmed up - ice melt was quicker than we thought). River was noticeably higher . . . decided to try it anyway - went for it . . . truck started in fine . . . but by the middle . . . current was very strong and water was higher than the doors (pushing the whole truck). Well - exactly what your thinking happened . . . water pushed me off the bridge and actually floated my truck sideways about 15 feet down river . . . (picture).
15 guys standing on the river bank ½ dozen in the back of my truck . . . laughing . . . that water was icicle cold . . . spent the rest of the morning winching the truck out listening to Bruce Springstein and the Eagles . . . (cranked) and laughing our heads off . . . Not a bad day when your 19 . . . . . . I'm not sure I'd enjoy it today . . . - not one tree got in the ground that day . . . My rough road story...
Good News and Bad News Today for us today about Rough Roads . . .
Good News - There's always another side to the river
- You don't have to stay stuck forever
- The road eventually smoothes out
Bad News - Every one of us has to travel a rough road at some point in our lives.
Stats Congregation of 2000 people roughly connected to this place.
Stats Canada - (in our life time): - 100% will die -
50% will divorce
- 17% will fail out of school
- 35% will get cancer
- 20% will settle for a Chevy - (now that's rough road)
(You do the math of who will face what in the next year)
Solomon - perhaps the wisest man in all history said this about life.
"I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all." (Life has this way of equalling the playing field) And the man in the Bible who perhaps saw the worst of times in all history - as he lost everything. (Ecc. 9:11)
Job said,
"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." (Job 1:21)
Again - a pretty real look at how life has the ability to take us on some rough roads . . .
Let me tell you about David's Rough Road Story - Remember who David was - King of Israel - amazing leader.he was described as a man after God's own heart - a friend of God's . . . . . . . Well before David . . . Saul was the King of Israel . . . . and Saul saw David as a huge threat to his leadership - as David was rising through the ranks of popularity . . .
- David was a great warrior and all the army guys loved him
- David was a great leader and all the people loved him
- Even Saul's own son - was David's best friend . . .and because of all that Saul hated David, and so he ran him out of the country and into the wilderness.
In a matter of days - David's life went from being someone everybody loved and respected (he went from being #1 in everybody's eyes) to being #1 on the most wanted list . . . And the book of I Samuel in the Bible tells this amazing story of how Saul and his army chased David and his rag tag group of guys - around the country for years . . . .and how David was forced to dwell in the wilderness for an extended portion of his life - not by his choosing . . . For David . . . the road was smooth one day and incredibly rough the next . . . The best part of this story though..is what happened inside of David during those years.. See, while his outside world was in turmoil, his inside world became stronger - and while his emotional and physical life was beaten down pretty substantially - his spiritual life became the only thing he could trust - the only thing he would put his trust in - the only stable thing in a very bumpy world. Psalm 13 - describes his faith during these days . . . (again - the only thing David could trust in the wilderness was God)
Read 1 Samuel if you find yourself in the wilderness - its got some incredible insight.
Here are a couple thoughts I had after reading David's story about what the rough road feels like after you're in it for a while . . . (This might help you) Get a picture with me of what your life would look life if you saw our sign coming: "Rough Road Ahead" (what would have to happen to make your road rough . . . ) (maybe the C and D words have come up in your life).say you find out you've got cancer ( C-word ) and you've got some pretty brutal physical bumps coming ahead of you . . . . . . - or maybe you never saw the D-word coming (divorce) and your emotional life is in the tank . . .
Maybe some of you have found yourself on one or both of those roads before, and you know exactly what it feels like . . . . to be in a tough spot.. For others there are probably a dozen other words that could put you in the wilderness as well:
A for Addiction
B for Bankruptcy
T for Terminated
And another D word - D for depression . . .
Again, for some this has already been a reality.but for others you can only imagine picture what it's like . . .
When you're on a rough road ..when you've been pushed into the wilderness . . . it feels like this . . . (3 thoughts)
1. Control is gone - because you're not in control anymore.
Ask anyone on a cancer ward about control and they'll laugh . . . because when you have cancer you're not in control - cancer is or the doctor is or you're just hoping someone is - because you know you're not . . . it's like that with a lot of rough road/ wilderness experiences. Bankruptcy . . . Depression . . .
2. Time becomes a little bit irrelevant - because it seems there aren't a whole lot of appointments to keep. -
Again . . . when a rough road hits like the loss of a loved one . . . time goes out the window with control . . . it's just not as important as it used to be. (Saw that this week - Wisser family tradedy happens so quickly)
3. And it seems like we don't have a real assignment to do at this stage of the journey . . .
Here's what I mean . . . when you're wandering through the wilderness . . . the emphasis of life becomes more about survival than it does anything else . . . priorities line up very quickly when the road gets rough . . .
The operative words are just stay alert and stay alive. Not what wonderful thing should I do next . . .
There is a little light in that dark place, however.. Here's a thought.
In the middle of the wilderness our lives are forced to get more simplified.and because of that simplification . . . I think they have the chance to deepen - to go places we've never allowed ourselves to go before - because everything else gets stripped away (all the trivial/all the extra).. and we come face to face with God . . . Because there is nothing else in the wilderness . . . but God . . . and that can be a very good thing.
But folks there is much danger in the wilderness, and fear lurks there . . . (of that there is no question). but hope lives there as well, and it is only in that very lonely place where a choice lies before us each day..
We can curse God . . . or we can pray for his strength to sustain us . . .
And if you read the rest of the story of David in the wilderness . David chose the latter, and when he was driven to his knees - he chose to become more, and he used the wilderness to gain strength for the rest of his journey. David used his rough road season to prepare himself for his life ahead.
Well . . . good for David . . . but what about us . . . here is a thought . . . ready?
I believe . . . there is a way for us to prepare for the rough road or the wilderness before we have to go there . . . (because remember it's not a matter of "if" we will go there . . . it's a matter of when . . . ) So . . . . . . here are a few thoughts on preparing for when we see the rough road sign coming up in our lives..
Activity vs Identity and Character vs Behaviour
A couple weeks ago I talked about stop signs and how God uses them to develop our souls . . . and I talked about Jesus' life and how incredibly full of activity it was - pressure and stress and busyness were constants for Jesus . . . Yet in the middle of even the busiest and most stressful of times - Jesus had the ability to say "no" to the urgent and pressing things so he could say "yes" to what was vital - (his relationship with his heavenly Father).
Jesus had this innate ability to read himself well - he knew when his soul needed filling - and he knew how to connect to the only source that could do that filling. He knew when to stop and connect with God..
And it was out of those stop sign moments in Jesus' life where clarity came for his future . . . and where a sense of peace and confidence came from . . . It was only at stop signs where he understood his identity clearly. Then and only then could he allow the activity of life to carry on . . .
I would suggest the same principle applies for us and our lives. . . The best way I can describe this to you is with a picture . . . (draw this with me) (think about this at home).
Think of an iceberg . . . and you may or may not know that icebergs have only 10% of their mass above the water . . . 90% of an iceberg is below the surface. Well - here is a theory about life..what if life is like that when it comes to identity and activity and behaviour and character. What if behaviour . . . is based in character . . . . 1/10 Activity - Behaviour 9/10 Identity - Character
And what if it is our identity that must be developed in order to have a more effective activity in this life . . . even during a rough season. catch this . . . (big principles . . . you apply them)
Here's what I mean we must understand who we are first..and then move to action, because - see - all I do..flows out of who I am. and all you do flows out of who you are . . .
And when you hit a bumpy patch of the highway . . . you want your activity and your attitude and your behaviour to be stable - to not get rocked . . . and trust me on this . . . character always gives rise to behaviour . . . and when life gets tough . . . you want the right attitudes and character and actions to surface . . .
There is a direct correlation between the strength of who we are in Jesus (our identity and our character) . . . and the action or effect of what we do . . . My suggestion here is that our identity is inseparably linked to our faith life . . . I'm saying . . . you will never know who you are without the development of our soul . . . in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
So here's the deal.
And the degree to which you deepen and develop your identity in Jesus Christ will expand the ability to sustain an effective life (even during a very tough rough season) .. and the only way to develop and deepen your spiritual identity is by connecting with Jesus on a regular basis . . .
Folks - I'm telling you right now, that if you want to sustain your life or even grow your life during a rough season that will eventually happen (that rough season is guaranteed to happen).if we want to grow your life during that season.
Then we have got to get a little more serious about developing the bottom 90% of our lives - (healthier). Developing our character and our identity are vital.
2 key ideas.there is not better way in the world to develop your character than to read this book and study it and there is not better way to develop your inner life than spending significant time in prayer . . .
It is in quietness of soul where true identity is found and it is in developing spiritual discipline where true character is grown . . .
All too often we think we're developing the right things inside by doing more outside . . . more activity . . . more action . . . Well my suggestion is - nothing could be further from the truth . . .
Let me repeat
All I do - flows out of who I am . . . especially during dark seasons of life.
My character always gives rise to my behaviour.especially during season of pain or frustration.
And if I grow the bottom of the iceberg - the top will rise as well - especially when the road gets rough.
These are the 3 principles.
One more thought on this . . . in a raging storm an iceberg never capsizes - it just floats along like there isn't even a hurricane wind blowing - why is that ? Obvious - the bottom of the iceberg gives it stability and confidence during the storms of life . . . and I can promise you the same . . . If you develop spend time - work at your relationship with Jesus if you deepen your walk with Jesus Christ, your identity will strengthen and your character will develop and you will have an inner quietness and an inner confidence even during the worst of storms that life might throw at you.
Folks - that's the truth about life . . . I hope you can apply this in some way . . . But I want to close simply by reading some verses from God's word that speak clearer than anything I could say . . . especially if you find yourself in the wilderness today - on a rough road right now . . .
Proverbs 4:23 - Above all else . . . Guard your heart for it is the well spring of life . . . . Here's what Jesus said in John 14:27 . . . about rough roads . . .
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
And the apostle Paul echoed those thoughts . . . (Philippians 4:6-7)
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:11b, 12 & 13 - The apostle Paul said this after a few walks in the wilderness.
"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
My prayer for you is that as you walk headlong into any situation in life whether good or bad - smooth or rough . . . that the peace of God which transcends all understanding . . . .and the strength of God which is supernatural will be your center and your reality . . . and that you will guard your heart - because out of it flows the rest of life . . . |
