How’s Your Tent?
Last year I went on a camping trip with my family. I dutifully packed everything we would need, checked and rechecked our lists, and reminded myself how to set up the tent. I had purchased the tent several years ago in Idaho, and it had performed well in that high desert climate. I was certain that as long as I set it up correctly, it would do just as well in Ohio’s humid climate. After all, the entire top was a screen – how perfect for those hot summer days! The rain fly would protect us in the event of bad weather, and I made sure to pack all of the pieces. We arrived at the campsite and setup went smoothly. I was proud of my beginner camping prowess.
Then came the thunderstorm.
At first, there was just the plink, plink, plink of water drops falling from the leaking rainfly. My children didn’t even notice as they slept soundly in their sleeping bags. It’s just a little rain and I have towels, I thought. I dutifully set them out. But then it rained harder and the drips became more of a stream. I got out more towels. The swirling wind began violently shaking the tent. The realization hit me: this tent is going to collapse! Alarmed, I stood up with my back to the tent wall, willing it to remain upright. Still my children slept. Suddenly, with a loud pop, the gusting wind ripped off the rainfly and flung its pieces all across the soggy campsite. The torrential downpour began flooding the inside of the tent through that screen top I had so lovingly considered earlier. And then the tent wall did collapse. The door was stuck shut, the thunder was booming, and my children – now quite awake – were afraid. We eventually did get out, drenched and freezing, and I couldn’t even find the missing pieces of my tent until morning.
The Christian life can be a lot like that.
See, there was nothing really wrong with my tent. Sure, it could have used some duct tape reinforcement where it was leaking, but I doubt that it would have failed if there had only been a light rain. That tent had performed well in fair weather, but it was no match for a midwestern thunderstorm.
I see many Christians today preparing for life like I prepared for my camping trip. I didn’t really think about whether or not my tent was up to the task of sheltering us. I just expected it to do its job. In the same way, many believers don’t really think about whether their walk with God is strong enough to handle the storms of life.
The Bible is very clear that we will suffer and face hardships in this life. Jesus promises in John 16:33b, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” 1 Peter 4:12-13 states, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”
But those are familiar passages. I found Paul’s words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:3 to be much more interesting: “Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” Really, Paul?! Join you in suffering? I wonder what Timothy thought of that idea. I know what I think of it – no thank you!
But as the Bible points out in James 1:2-4, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” So there’s a point to all of that suffering, even if I’m not that excited about it.
Since God is focused on our character development, He’s going to want maturity for us. And since suffering equals maturity, then we can count on having our fair share of it. So, how do we prepare?
Wait! I think I just heard the standard Sunday School answer from the back of the room. You know what it is, don’t you? Whenever I ask how we can grow as Christians, someone will always give the standard answer: read the Bible, pray, and go to church. Is that right? Well, yes and no.
If all you do is basic-level reading the Bible, praying, and going to church, your Christian life will be equivalent to my Walmart-grade tent. That will do for a while, but it won’t be enough to get you through a downpour of suffering.
But what if you want a tent upgrade? Well, first, you can really level up the three “Sunday School answer” practices.
Read the Bible
When most people begin reading the Bible, they’re just trying to get a basic understanding out of the passage. Later they may be trying to read longer passages to just get through their reading plan. But mature Christians know that reading the Bible is like sorting through a treasure chest – it is brimming with truth that will alter your perspective on God, your view of yourself, your treatment of others, and your respect for creation. It will change how you live!
In order to access that kind of power from the Bible, we need to ask God for help. We find Paul praying for the believers like this in Ephesians 1:17-19a: “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”
What if we started each of our Bible reading times in a similar way? We might pray something as simple as: God, I pray that Your Holy Spirit would help me see what you have for me in Your Word today.
Bible reading must be a regular practice in order to be effective, and it also needs to have a purpose. If you set the purpose by asking God to speak to you through His Word, He will. If you seek the truth, you will find it.
Pray
There are so many types of prayer. I can use it to thank God, to ask for things, to vent, to demand answers…the list goes on. But I’ve noticed that it’s very easy to fall into a trap of having prayer be more about me than God. How does that happen? It’s because it’s very easy to have prayer be all talking and no listening.
We’ve all met people who dominate conversations and never seem to actually listen. It’s impossible not to think of those people as self-focused. But when I consider my prayer life, I have to ask: Am I self-focused during prayer? Am I stopping regularly to listen to God?
Listening for God requires practice and patience. This topic really deserves its own blog post, so I won’t elaborate more here. For now, it’s helpful to know that slowing down and being ready to hear from Him can make all the difference.
Go to Church
Baby Christians go to church as consumers. They show up for the experience and complain loudly when something doesn’t match their tastes.
Mature Christians go to church to serve others and engage in community life. They may serve in a variety of ways, but they understand that engaging with God’s family is meant to be participatory, not just a show to attend. They actively cultivate relationships with others at church and purposefully look for ways to bless them.
Which of these descriptions sounds most like your mindset at church?
What else?
Is there more? Of course! Each one of these topics deserves its own blog post, but I will still list them here to get you thinking.
Additional Practices to Level Up My Christian Life
Worship (outside of the church service)
Serving others
Spending time in silence and solitude
Practicing rest
Sharing my faith
Finding a mentor
Asking God to mature me
All of these practices will fortify your relationship with God. They also develop maturity and deepen faith. By doing these things, you will be prepared for the storms of suffering when they come.
By the way, we did buy a new tent this year. It’s made of rugged weatherproof canvas with steel bars. That thing is not coming down in a storm. I hope your life isn’t, either.
Until next time,
MK
