Outdoor Truths

An arctic cold wave has swept across the country. It was short-lived, but it was brutal. My own temperatures dropped to -13 degrees with the windchill. I had no plans of hunting during this time, but I did go hang out in my barn, around my Buddy Heater, on one afternoon. The sun was out but the wind was still blowing, which kept temperatures below zero. Nevertheless, about 90 minutes before dark, 5 doe decided to feed in my rye field. They stayed about 30 minutes before making their way back to some deep hollow, away from the brunt of the wind. For me, even though I was in the barn and around my heater, I still felt every movement of wind on the areas of my body that were not completely covered with multiple layers. After all, that's what extreme conditions do. They expose the places that have been left without proper attention. They don't cause the places; they only expose them. The health of my faith works the same way. Normal conditions rarely cause us to give thought as to how our faith is growing. And at times, we can have a false sense of belief concerning our ability to put into practice those things we believe. We say we would react a certain way. Or we think we would respond a certain way. Or we believe our Christian honesty would uphold under all temptations. But then it is all put to the test. Something happens that brings extreme conditions. It's a death, a debt, or even a desire, that changes our environment. The temperatures these produce on us expose our weakness and reveal how fragile our faith really is. These changes didn't cause our reaction, they only revealed what was already there. I've heard many people assert how someone reacts or what someone says under the heat of the moment actually reveals who they really are. I don't believe that. I believe they only reveal who we are capable of being left to ourselves without the Spirit of God growing us and making us more like Christ. That's why we must be unashamed of our faith but also humble in it. A boisterous faith can lead to a condemning one. A condemning one can lead to a prideful one. And pride always comes before a fall. So, live in humility and when the extreme conditions come, let them reveal to you the areas that are still under the construction of the Spirit. And let them remind you how utterly dependent you are on the guiding hand of God.