Friday Fight 265: Claiming the Circumference

Every Friday morning, during my quiet time with the Lord, He faithfully places something on my heart that speaks to the subtle, internal battles many of us face. This is Friday Fight 264.

How many of us have felt like our spiritual walk is in a place that needs to become more regimented, like we need to buckle down through routine and discipline? Changing things to draw closer to God is always a positive thing, yet change can be difficult. If you feel prompted by this, I ask that you pray and seek Him to determine where this “buckling down” needs to happen. More importantly, this week I invite you to reflect on how you felt when you received your answer. Let’s go a bit deeper to better understand.

There is a difference between being disciplined in our walk with God and becoming so structured that we stop responding to the Holy Spirit’s leading.

Trapped in Stability:

Lately, I’ve found myself adjusting to life with a new puppy. I recently fell and injured both knees. During the healing process, I’ve been avoiding potential impacts by bracing myself. A typical workday involves walking several miles and climbing multiple flights of stairs, so every movement now requires intention. I must stay within my physical limits while continuing on course, choosing to focus on what I can control.

Spiritually, we may begin resisting anything unfamiliar in an effort to keep our walk with God stable. What if our good intentions to maintain stability quietly keep us from doing what God is asking?

We can easily create an orderly, well-structured routine that leaves no room for God to redirect us. Then, one day, the Holy Spirit leads us in a direction that does not fit within what we have planned. In those moments, following His lead can begin to feel uncomfortable, unreasonable, or even wrong.

How does this happen? The enemy of our souls works in small, almost unnoticeable ways, slowly shifting our focus from following the Holy Spirit to relying on what feels structured and safe. We serve a God of order and timing, yet His order never replaces our need to follow His leading. For this reason we must continually examine ourselves in light of His truth, trusting His direction rather than leaning on our own understanding.

This is why we are reminded in Galatians 5:25, “Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” Even in the areas where we desire structure and stability, we are still called to pray first and remain in step with Him.”

God often grows us by leading us beyond what feels controlled or predictable. In the Gospel of Matthew, when Peter and the other disciples were in the boat during the storm, Peter had a choice. He could remain in what was seemingly stable, or seemingly safer, or he could respond to the voice of Jesus calling him out onto the water. That moment required Peter to step out of what was familiar and walk obediently into the unknown. The water was neither safe nor predictable, yet it was exactly where Jesus was calling him. The best place to be is always following Jesus.

In the same way, we must be careful not to become so grounded in what feels stable that we resist where God is calling us to step out. Discipline, routine, and structure all have their place, but they should never replace a heart that is willing to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit—wherever He may lead.

This week, take a moment to consider your own walk. Has your desire for discipline gradually turned into a place of comfort and control? God is not calling us to remain where we feel safe, but to move whenever He leads. Even when it stretches us, or when it doesn’t make sense, His direction is always worth following.

In His Grace,

Pastor Shannon

NEWLIFE Calvert

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