Beloved, we spent this month in a series I named Finishing Faith, and I want to tell you why.
Faith is designed to grow. It was never meant to sit at one stage. There is forward faith, which is about progression, about moving forward. And then there is finishing faith, which is about receiving the promise. God is not only after our progress. He is after our finish.
But one thing stands between the two, and I named it plainly on the first Sunday: faith fatigue.
That is our memory scripture for July, and the answer to “why am I so tired” is sitting right inside it.
Here is what I told our church family, and I will say it to you again. Your fatigue is not the result of insufficient grace. God’s grace has not failed you. Your fatigue is proof that you are carrying some things God never asked you to carry.
The journey is hard all by itself. But when you add weight and sin to the journey, it becomes so hard. The issue is not the enemy. It is weight.
Then on the second and third Sundays we asked a harder question. What are you looking at?
Think of Peter on the water. He had faith enough to get out of the boat. And then he began to sink. What happened? He started looking at the storm instead of looking at Jesus. So let me suggest something to you. Your issue is not the storm. Your issue is what you are staring at.
There are a lot of Peters among us. Faith enough to get started, but easily distracted, unable to stay focused. And here is the connection I want you to carry out of July: the reason we end up carrying weight we were never meant to carry is that we are looking at the wrong thing.
The scripture says it plainly. Looking away from all that will distract, to Jesus. He set His face toward Jerusalem. He came to die, and He died. He never lost focus. He is the author, and He is also the finisher.
So say it with me as we close this month: my life is coming into full focus. There is no cloudiness. There is only clarity concerning where God wants me to go, because I know where I am supposed to be looking.
Lay down the weight, beloved. Fix your eyes. And finish.