Spiritual pathways (5)

The activist pathway. When you’re on this spiritual pathway, you have a high level of energy. This may be one of your favourite scriptures: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.” But one of the dangers of relating to God best through the activist pathway is that a big chunk of your motivation can be self-fulfillment and self-satisfaction. Hence Paul wrote, “Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church” (1 Corinthians 14:12 NLT). When you are an activist, you love a fast-paced, problem-filled, complex, strenuous way of life. At the end of the day, you want to be able to say, “I ran really hard. I used every ounce of effort and zeal at my disposal, and it’s all for You, God.” One biblical example of an activist is Nehemiah. When he heard that the walls of his beloved Jerusalem were in ruins, he wept, he prayed, he petitioned the king for the resources to rebuild them, and then he rolled up his sleeves and went to work. If you are an activist, you need a cause. Without it, your spiritual life will stagnate. But here is a word of caution: don’t get so excited about your cause that you run over people or exploit them. And here’s another word of caution: if you are an activist, you may have a hard time discerning God’s true calling from your own strong impulses to action. If that’s the case, take added time to pray and hear from God and have a qualified friend in your life whose counsel you trust.