What do you keep an extra-large supply of at all times?
I know a number of people who are still sitting on more toilet paper than they will ever need after the world had a shortage a couple of years ago. I once had a roommate whose favorite soda flavor was discontinued. After intense research, he made a multi-state road trip to buy a six-month supply to tide him over until production started again. I am even included on this list. A quick review of my shelves revealed to me this week that I have enough unread books that I could read four books each month and not need to buy any more books for over a year.
(But, shhhhhhh, don’t tell my wife about that!)
We all have ample supplies, which we seek to maintain. There are items or areas of concern that are very important to us. We grow anxious when we see those dwindling because we look to our supplies to sustain us.
This mindset can be helpful when it comes to feeding our family, hosting guests, enjoying treats, and navigating global supply chain issues. But, when this mindset seeps into our relationship with God, it stops being helpful.
Many of us have an easy time relating to God as Savior. We know that we are incapable of saving ourselves spiritually. We have confessed and continue to recognize our sin, brokenness, and inability to save ourselves. We praise God for His worthiness as our Savior through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We passionately sing and gratefully offer praise to God for saving and redeeming us.
However, when we think of God as our Sustainer, some of us have a more challenging time with this mindset. We like not needing others. We are well-versed in being self-sufficient. We take pride in our resourcefulness.
To relate to God as Sustainer, we must admit our inability to supply our own needs. We must shift from independence to dependence on God. This kind of humble admission is hard!
Over the past two years, I’ve had countless moments where either the Holy Spirit or a loving friend pointed out an area where I was struggling because I was seeking to be independent rather than dependent on God. The burdens I’ve attempted to shoulder have weighed my body and soul down when I could have found strength in My Sustainer.
Throughout the Scriptures, we are reminded that we worship a God who wants us to look to Him as Sustainer.
In Psalm 55, David writes, “Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” In Psalm 73, Asaph declares, “My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.” In Psalm 107, the writer announces, “Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”
So, if we see so many reminders that God is our Sustainer in Scripture, then why do we carry our own burdens, pursue independence, and put our hope in our supplies?
I can only speak for myself, but I’ve recently identified five reasons why I don’t look to God as a sustainer. Maybe you’ll see some of yourself in these battles.
-Doubt. I question whether God can based on my view of the seemingly insurmountable challenge in front of me.
-Fear. I am afraid God won't come through the way I want or need Him to presently.
-Ego. I tell myself that if God doesn’t sustain me, then I will look foolish to others.
-Difficulty. It’s much easier to trust in myself than it is to depend on God.
-Vulnerability. To depend on God requires me to admit my weakness and become vulnerable.
After making this list, I realized that the alternative path to worshiping Jesus as Sustainer is idolatry. In his book, Gods at War, Kyle Idleman writes, “An idol is anything or anyone we put our hope in other than God.”
Either God is worthy of worship as our Sustainer or He is not. Each of us are already answering that question. The answer is found in where we put our hope and how we respond to our burdens.
When I was a child, there was a song we sang in our church entitled “Worthy of Worship.” The chorus of that praise song has framed the themes for this month’s series here at Air1 entitled “Worthy of Worship.”
As I’ve acknowledged the battle lines in my own heart to worshiping God as Sustainer, I want you to know that I do believe He is worthy - worthy of our worship. He is Father, Creator, Savior, and Sustainer.
When I’m struggling to put that belief into action, when I feel attacked by my enemy, and when those emotions and fears offer me an alternative path, I sometimes choose to fight my battle with worship. One of my favorite new Air1 songs is Cody Carnes's song, “Firm Foundation (He Won’t).” Last week, I listened to that song on repeat for over an hour.
Maybe you need to soak your mind in the truth from a song like that. Maybe you need to call a friend and ask them to remind you why God is worthy of worship, worthy of your trust. Maybe you need to take a walk outside and just repeat a simple breath prayer using the words of Paul from 1 Peter 5:7. “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
However you choose to fight this battle, I pray that you experience God's sustaining power in the middle of the highs and lows today!
Scott Savage is a pastor and a writer with the coolest last name ever. He leads Cornerstone Church in Prescott, Arizona. Scott is married to Dani and they are the parents of three “little savages.” He helps hurting people forgive others through his Free to Forgive course and you can read more of his writing at scottsavagelive.com
