After The Glory Fades

"Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him." Exodus 34:29

“We all have moments when we feel better than ever before, and we say, “I feel fit for anything; if only I could always be like this!” We are not meant to be. […] we must bring our everyday life up to the standard revealed to us on the mountaintop when we were there. […] If, during a prayer meeting, God shows you something to do, don’t say, “I’ll do it”— just do it! […] We must learn to live in the ordinary “gray” day according to what we saw on the mountain.[…] Burn your bridges behind you, and stand committed to God by an act of your own will.” - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

Some years ago, I was on staff with a ministry called Promise Keepers.  The focus on that ministry was calling Christian men to be faithful to God's calling as husbands, fathers, and Brothers. Promise Keepers held events in indoor and outdoor sports arenas - where tens of thousands of men would attend. It was glorious. The men would return from those "mountains" with their faces glowing, their hearts burning, and commitments to faithfulness rekindled. But so many times, when I spoke at churches, the wives would talk to me saying that their husbands returned from the conference as new men, but then after two weeks or so it was same-o, same-o.  The glory faded. So what happened? It was what I called the Promise Keeper pill.  Many men acted as if their attendance at a conference would be sufficient that they would be spiritually good until the next one. Uh - no!

We are sometimes confused by the emotion of an event versus the stirring of the Spirit in us. I have seen grown men, jump up from the sofa while they are watching some sports event on TV. Yelling at the screen as if somehow, the people could hear them. Emotion. Turn the channel and the emotion quickly subsides. Emotion can only take you so far. The "after-glow" only lasts for so long and is often confused with spiritual transformation or awakening.   

 “And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, 'Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?' Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, 'What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?'” - Matthew 8:23-27

That is what makes being on the mountain so great for so many … you sense the presence of God … that fear you felt in the storm is gone … it is a glorious time … but also like Peter on the mount of transfiguration .. at some point it is time to go back to the valley. Even though you want to stay on the mountain and worship, you were made for the valleys.  Your purpose is to walk in the valley … not to be a spark on the mountain top but to be a light in the dark valley … even in .. especially in … the storms of life.  God does not want to spare you from trouble .. He wants to use you in the midst of it.  It might mean that you will lose something … but even in that loss, God will not abandon you.  When Moses came off of the mountain, his face shone but eventually that glory faded.  The same for us.  You may experience times of great spiritual encouragement, but those times are like seasoning on food.  They enhance the flavor, but the seasoning is not what sustains and nourishes you.  As Christians we are sustained and nourished by faith through obedience, and all of that for and to the glory of God.

Where the men failed after the conferences was that they put their trust in the wrong thing. They were reminded of who they were in Christ and that they were not alone in their faith. The feeling of being in the presence of a spiritually powerful event faded and then they had to face the hard work of traveling in the valley. It is not because Promise Keepers failed in their message. It was because the men were looking for an easy solution and didn't hear the message.  Same for us - just like the man in the mirror.

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was." - James 1:22-24

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone