Day 39: a Faith Worth Fighting For

I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of his appearing and his kingdom: Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and teaching. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear. They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths. But as for you, exercise self-control in everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time for my departure is close. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:1–7

Recently, after pulling several all-nighters, I finished a seminary paper I had been working on for some time. After that paper was turned in, I got to hit a new milestone—being three-quarters of the way through the classroom portion of my doctoral studies. Which means only two and a half more years to go before graduation! Quite a few concerned friends have asked why in the world I chose to go back to school in my mid-fifties since I already have a very full life. When one asked how long exactly it will take to finish my doctorate, I explained that if I stay on pace with the required classes, research methodology, and thesis development, I hope to graduate the summer I turn sixty. As you can imagine, she burst out laughing and proclaimed, “Lisa, you ain’t right!” When it comes to this sentiment, you might be surprised to find that I whole-heartedly agree! The way I see it, I’ve always been a bit of an outlier! (Well, as much as a theologically conservative white woman who grew up in the southeastern United States and is often clad in stretchy pants can be anyway.)

Plus, I believe this later-in-life, uphill academic quest to help prove the Bible is a love story from cover to cover—that God has always been and will always be for us—is totally worth the effort. Why? Because I’ve noticed an increasing shift among Christian women away from biblically faithful churches and culture. The consistent rationale is their negative experience with pastors and spiritual leaders who manipulate Scripture to propagate and/or justify the marginalization of other image-bearers. And that has flat broken my heart because I think without the grace and guidance of God’s Word, the intimate connection we were created to enjoy with Him is hugely limited. I also believe biblical revelation is one of the primary ways for all human beings (regardless of gender, ethnicity, or cultural background) to understand—in part—the historical transcendence of God, which is a key element in understanding our worth and purpose in this world. The bottom line is: if we toss out the perfectly holy and holistically redemptive theme of Scripture because some people were jerks in the way they handled complex passages, we will be so stinkin’ confused about our inherent value and the miraculous accessibility we have to our Creator-Redeemer.

If you can’t tell by now, those are the things I’m passionate about, and I don’t want to stop learning about them and inviting other people in to see their worth. Therefore, I’m thrilled I get to pull all-nighters studying instead of daydreaming about retirement at this age and stage of my life! Frankly, I think my heart would get bored silly if “coasting for Jesus” was my life strategy. I don’t want to coast. I want to keep climbing. Up into my calling. Up into more knowledge and experience of God. Up into the things that matter. Don’t you?

It may not look like registering for doctoral studies, but I’m sure you have things you’re super-passionate about, too. Things God has called you into. Things He built you to do all the way to the end of your race. Don’t start slowing down now, friend. Onward, upward, and outward!

• How have you been “poured out” for Jesus and others lately?
• What uphill races of faith are you still excited about running?
• Where have you been coasting in your faith, and how can you start climbing again?