Don't walk away | Philippians 1; Part 2

The first time I read Philippians 1 I was living in Milford, Connecticut in the upstairs of a Cape Cod-style home. On this particular day, I was curled up on the gray couch with a cup of blueberry coffee. I was wearing black and white striped pajama shorts with a worn-down red t-shirt. Clearly, this verse and this day are engraved into my mind. 

I had just gone through a breakup and in the weeks prior, I was debating leaving my church because it was just too hard. The night before reading this, I had made a decision, it was time to leave and move-on. I called my counselor to walk it through. In which she confirmed, she understood and supported my decision. Then, the next morning, God brought me to Philippians 1:23-25. In these few verses, Paul is going back and forth between life and death. He tells the church in Philippi, ‘Honestly, I’d rather leave and be with Christ because being with Christ is better than being here. But, I know it’s necessary for me to be here. So I will stay for the progress and joy of what’s to come.’ 

On that morning, here’s what I read, sticking out the storm is necessary. There are circumstances and seasons in our life that we’d rather run for the hills than run into. But it’s in the valley, in the space between being alive and feeling immense pain inside, that we hear Him clearly. So that morning, rather than attending a different church as I had originally planned. I made my way back to the front row, with my head bowed low, tears in my eyes, and a commitment to stay. 

Looking back, I can’t think of a single Sunday that was easy. Most days, I just wept but my walk with The Lord grew in immense ways. I’m going to tell you what you already know, just in case you forgot. But growth can only be obtained when we stretch beyond what’s comfortable. When we walk away from circumstances that are uncomfortable and hard, we walk away from the revelations that God intended to reveal. 

Now, I don’t know what hard things you’re trying to avoid. But I know you were made to do them. That doesn’t mean it will be easy and it doesn’t mean you won’t weep your way through. All it means is that you can do hard things because He is inside of you.