As a father of two daughters (7 and 3 years old), I decided that it would be important for me to follow along when the Heir to the Crown Challenge began. The most significant thing I learned through the challenge was that if I want to live a life of true freedom in Christ, I must commit to meeting daily with my Savior to receive my identity from Him and to rest in Him. In order to love other people well, including my children, I must be aware at all times of being fully known and fully loved. I want to always be working from a place of rest. This is what I want to model for my children.

Through the challenge, I was also reminded that the world, the enemy, and my flesh will do whatever they can to keep me from taking even a few minutes a day to simply breathe and be with my Father. “Urgent” to-do items push and pull me, FOMO pokes and prods me, the needs of others grasp and grab me, and my own desire for “downtime” drags and draws me away from the Lover of my soul. I put off resting with God and wonder why at the end of my day I feel so depleted, anxious, frustrated, and irritable.

If you’re like me it can sometimes feel that from the moment you open your eyes in the morning, everyone wants a piece of you. No one seems to appreciate the fact that you are a finite being–perhaps you don’t even realize this! It can seem like every time you check something off of your to-do list, someone is coming along and adding more. You become a slave to every little thing that vies for your attention–the good, the important, the not so good, and the not actually important. You strive for rest that never truly comes or fills you up, trying to assuage the fears that you aren’t seen, known, or that you’re you’re missing out, etc.

Child of God, co-heir with Christ, Freedom Fighter, it is for freedom that Christ has set you free! Your freedom, your identity, your fruitfulness, and your true joy comes from abiding in your relationship with your King, your Heavenly Father, your Savior, your God (John 15:1-7). This abiding isn’t a passive state. It’s choosing to camp out near your God, a daily scratching and clawing your way to Jesus through the crowd. It’s taking a violent stand against the tyranny of the urgent and consciously deciding to stop and rest in God’s love for you. It’s simple, but it’s not easy. We have to expect resistance and plan for it.

There is a rule of life that without resistance there is no growth. Plants will only grow strong enough to stand and carry their own weight when they encounter resistance from buffeting wind and rain. In the same way, we will only grow and transform into Christlikeness if we encounter resistance and let God work through it. Our Father only allows things to come our way that are ultimately for His glory and for our good. This includes the strategies the world and the enemy use to keep us from being still and knowing that He is God, which expose our motivations and highlight our true need for Him.

So do battle. Show up to your quiet place! It often will be difficult. Things will pop into your brain wanting your attention. You’ll worry that nothing will happen, that God won’t show up, that you won’t feel it. Not every experience of abiding will feel particularly amazing. Don’t expect it to. That would be like expecting every meal you have to be a gourmet meal. It’s nutrition you’re receiving! The harvest will come at the proper time.

You need to know that God delights in you! Every time you choose God in obedience over all the other things clamoring for your attention, He is so pleased. He dances over you with singing! God is building capacity in you to carry His gospel fruit to a world that desperately needs Him, and in that way, your joy will be complete.

Wes Scheu is a pastor in Denver, CO. He and his wife, Erin, are Revelation Wellness Fitness Instructors. Along with their three kiddos they love to worship Jesus, camp, hike, read, and eat really good food with good friends.

Thank you for reading along on the Revelation Wellness blog this week! If you haven’t already, you can still purchase the beautiful “Heir to the Crown” devotional and leave a review here!

Workout with us in this #wednesdayworkout! For more workouts like this, partner with Revelation Wellness for at least $10/month and receive RevWellTV!

KRISTEN’S KETTLEBELL WORKOUT – “TRAIN YOUR THOUGHTS”

Kettlebells offer a different kind of training using dynamic moves targeting almost every aspect of fitness – endurance, strength, balance, agility and cardio endurance. People love it because it’s challenging, efficient and you only need one piece of equipment.  If you don’t have a kettlebell a hand weight will work as well. Grab your bell and let’s train freedom to ring! If you don’t have a kettlebell a hand weight will work as well. (INT/ADV) (2 CORINTHIANS 10:5; KETTLEBELLS OR HAND WEIGHTS)