The Mysteries Of Undulation

New Years seems to ignite something within people. This hope that they can change some sort of nasty habit or something. You know the story: Barbara swears she's going to stop drinking soda, Matt is saying goodbye to the 2-a-day cigarette packs, and Sam hopes to be benching 250 by this time next year. They are all filled with the passion and drive to meet their goals...or so they think.

Unfortunatly, these goals are often never met. As humans we struggle to stay emotionally consistant. One year we want to write a book, the next we're picking up ballet lessons. While I highly doubt that I will be taking ballet next January, I do believe my passions and interests will lie somewhere I might not have expected. This is the simple Law of Undulation. It basically suggests a waveform pattern in our lives where our interest in any given duty, commodity, or relationship is in constant variance. Basically a series of peaks and valleys.

As a Christian, this Law of Undulation can be both a nuisance and a blessing. This is where the mystery comes in.

There have been times in my life where I have set aside my musical endeavors to seek out only the Lord through scripture reading and volunteer work at my church. Then I will notice myself going back to music, and reading less and less of God's word. This is a bad thing, as I am to let God, "...direct my steps by [His] word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me." (Psalm 119:133) The less I am in His word, the weaker I am to fall into the temptations of this world, "...my soul melts from heaviness, strengthen me according to Your word." (Psalm 119:28) As Christians we are supposed to, "...press towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philipians 3:14) But it seems I'm contantly falling asleep on the race track, and the result is a more distant and less intimate relationship with my Savior.

Yet these times of distance can be the times where God can do the most work in our lives! He cherishes the moments he gets to rattle our world a little bit, so that we can again see the destitute state we are in without Him; and we are immediately back to clinging on to Him with a passion and thankfulness like never before. This is what God wants for us, to cling to Him; not because we give in to His will, but that our will is now, more than ever, craving to be found in Him.

So what does this all mean? Is undulation just a fact of life with some pro's and con's? Yes. But I do not think we can leave it at that.

We must know that these up and downs are coming. When you are on fire for God, don't expect to stay that way forever. This is a mistake many new believers can make. And as soon as that fire dwindles, they immediatly assume that the passionate relationship with Christ they we're feeling was just a phase- not reality. This is when Satan can do most of His work. He gets the Christian to start doubting the church, and whether he really needs all that 'good, touchy-feely' stuff.

We need to expect drought. During the drought, we need to expect the rain is coming.

The last thing God wants is for us to hang our heads during the drought and give up on our commitments to Him. He wants to prove to us He is faithful and just. If we give up on Him, we start buying into Satan's lies, and we might never see when God comes back to rescue us.

The point is, be a do-er. Not a feel-er. Emotions and passions come and go; never make a descision based on something we know to be inconsistent. God wants to know if we will stay faithful to Him, even when we don't feel like it. He will bring the passion back into your life as He always does, for now just worry about your faithfulness. Go back to all the verses in the 4th paragraph. Notice how they aren't dependent on emotions or passions, rather they are a commitment.

See, It is not because people cannot stay true to their New Years Resolutions, it is that, as time goes on, they don't want to. So don't let your commitment to God be dependent on your feelings. If you do this, Satan can't touch you and you're in for a life full of blessing and meaning.