“I will never be shaken.” Such words of confidence! Have you ever said these words or something similar? “I won’t back down.” “I won’t give up.”
Even when spoken in the Superman pose with feet spread, hands on our hips, and head held high, there’s a voice we hear that says, “Really?” We try to be the faithful fan who cheers even in a losing game or season. We commit to a healthier lifestyle. We might commit to being more faithful in reaching out to friends or family. Commitment helps us meet goals but if we’re honest, commitment is hard and more often than not, we don’t keep those commitments.
What about our faith commitment? Are we “all in” or a “fair-weather” person of faith? Jesus is clear in his expectation for those who follow him—“all in.” Jesus shared with his disciples and others what it means to be a follower. It means loving him more than anything else. “Of course I do,” you may think. If we’re honest, do we? Do we always put God first in our lives no matter the cost? If we took a hard look at our lives, our priorities, our activities, are we really putting God first? The truth? We’re not capable of making that level of commitment…not on our own. We fail and fail even with the best of intentions.
All this can be discouraging. We commit over and over to be more faithful in worship, join that Bible study, read a morning devotion each day, pray faithfully. It’s lasts for a bit and then fades. It’s disheartening and leaves us with a feeling of guilt.
However, there’s good news—amazing news actually. That spiritual fatigue that we experience can find rest in God. When we recall how he sent Jesus as our Savior, we are reminded that our most significant burden, sin, was taken care of by Jesus. Jesus is our rock—he’s not going anywhere. He’s our fortress—protecting us from the evils of Satan, the evils of the world, and even ourselves. He’s our salvation-the gift of peace knowing that sins are covered, forgiven, gone.
Exhale. Jesus has done it all for us. We can rest spiritually in God in a way that is unlike any earthly rest. We can say with confidence (with or without the Superman pose) that Satan, the challenges of this world, and our own sinfulness, will not consume us. We can say, “It is well with my soul.” (CW21 850) We have the peace and rest that comes from God alone. “[We] will never be shaken” from God’s loving care for us because of him and what he has done for us and our salvation.