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You are here: Home / Trust God / Know Your Why If You Want To Follow Jesus {and not quit}

May 10, 2016 ·

Know Your Why If You Want To Follow Jesus {and not quit}

Trust God

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know your whyUp, up, up. Higher and higher I climbed. One big branch to another, until I was higher than I’d ever been. Higher than I was really comfortable with, but the tree trunk was thick and sturdy in my arms. I paused at each branch, marveling at how much progress I was making, how much I was growing and progressing. Yet, my hands remained tightly around the trunk, hanging on for dear life.

person-843719_1920Deep breath… Then a step out onto a branch. Near the trunk this branch was sturdy, barely moving under my weight. I focused on slowly letting go of the trunk and beginning to stand on my own. Starting to find my own way, my own voice, my own strength. “I can do this,” I thought. “This isn’t so hard.”

One step, then another. Then suddenly the branch became smaller and as I moved further from the trunk it began to sway a little under my weight. The further I stepped, the more unsteady the branch became. “Maybe I’ve stepped too far,” the thoughts filled my head. “Maybe I can’t do this after all. Where is the safety of the trunk? The comfort of the ground?” My resolve and faith began to waver along with the movement of the branch. “I’m not enough for this. This branch is going to break and I’m going to fall into a million pieces.”

Then I did. Fall into a million pieces. Metaphorically, that is. This was what my first adventure into faith and obedience felt like. I said “yes” to an outlandish ask from God and it was a season of big growth. The kind of growth like when you stretch a new rubber band to its limits – just until its breaking point. Only I forgot that sometimes the rubber band works better after it’s been stretched a bit. A new rubber band doesn’t break easily. It’s flexible and the stretching grows it.

Our Faith Needs Deep Roots To Keep Us Grounded

I forgot to focus on the roots of the tree. I was so consumed with the branches and the journey that I forgot to check if the tree had deep enough roots. I forgot to tend to the soul of the tree.

When we step out in obedience and faith, we will face trials, storms, swaying branches under our feet, paths that feel like quicksand. We’ll begin to wither under the opposition and wonder why we ever said “yes” in the first place. We’ll start looking every which way for the nearest exit, the way back to the how it was before. Only, deep down, we don’t want to go back…

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord
and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green,
and they never stop producing fruit. ~Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NLT)

How do we keep the roots firmly rooted? How do we make sure we have a strong enough base to support us as we step out beyond our comfortable, beyond our known, beyond our limits?

Know Your Why If You Want To Grow Deep Roots

We must know our “why” to stay rooted. Know why you said “yes” to follow Jesus. Know why Jesus is so important in your life. Know why your faith has transformed and redeemed your life. Know why you want nothing more than to keep following the path God is laying before you.

I fell from that metaphorical tree because I didn’t know my “why”. Sure, I’d said “yes” to Jesus and was determined to follow where he led, but I wasn’t connected to my “why”. Out on the spindly branches, I’d lost connection to why I’d said “yes”, why I wanted nothing more than to keep saying “yes”, why I was so grateful for Jesus in my life.

Do you ever feel unsteady in your faith? Know your why. Focus on why you're following Jesus and your faith will grow deep roots to keep you steady.Following Jesus is More Than Obedience

Following Jesus is more than mere obedience, more than “because he said so”. It’s a commitment from your heart and your soul. Because you want to. Because you are so grateful for who he is and what he’s done in your life. Because you’ve looked and found there’s no other you’d rather follow.

When I connected to my “why,” my roots began to run deep. My tree grew stronger and I didn’t feel the ground swaying beneath me anymore. On those days when I do begin to feel unsteady, I go back to my “why” and remind myself why I’ve said “yes” to follow Jesus and why I can’t imagine doing anything else.

Know Your Why and Share It

My “why” is that God found me in my darkest hour and answered my prayers. He gave me a comfort and a peace beyond any understanding and allowed me to enter into a personal relationship with Him. He filled me with light and hope when my world was dark and I was at the end of myself. And I want nothing more than to help everyone else find that same hope and personal relationship with God that I found.

That’s why I do what I do. That’s why I keep going when I’m faced with doubts and insecurities. Why I press forward when it’s hard and inconvenient. Why I can’t imagine any other life than one that serves this generous, grace-giving, loving God and sharing Him with everyone I can.

What Is Your Why? How Will It Change Your Walk With Jesus?

So, what is your “why”? Connect to your story when God broke through and caused your life to pivot (in a small way or a big one) and then you’ll find your “why”. Write it down, give it a headline so it’s easily recalled, and call upon it when you begin to doubt and waver. Allow your “why” to grow your roots deep, so you can withstand any storm that comes your way.

“What would it mean, I ask myself, if I too came to the place where I saw my primary identity in life as ‘the one Jesus loves’? How differently would I view myself at the end of a day? Sociologists have a theory of the looking-glass self: you become what the most important person in your life (wife, father, boss, etc) thinks you are. How would my life change if I truly believed the Bible’s astounding words about God’s love for me, if I looked in the mirror and saw what God sees?” ~Philip Yancey, What’s So Amazing About Grace? {affiliate link}

[This post is part of the Visible Faith series. Click here to learn more about this series on how to live a vibrant, visible faith.]

Visible Faith

Want to go deeper with Jesus and walk with him? Suzie Eller’s newest book, Come With Me, will inspire, encourage and push you to whisper “yes” and find your deep roots. I did receive a free copy of her book as part of her launch team, but I absolutely loved it and think you will, too! {these are affiliate links, so you’ll be helping sustain this blog if you purchase through them}

Other Posts You May Like

Previous Post: « Are You Saying Yes to God Reluctantly Or With Joy? [VIDEO]
Next Post: 3 Ways the Holy Spirit Makes Your “Yes” Possible »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tayrina González (@TayrinaGzlz) says

    May 10, 2016 at 5:58 am

    I’m reading right now Suzie’s book too! and so far I love it! – Great post!

    • Kathryn says

      May 13, 2016 at 9:56 pm

      Oh, don’t you love Suzie’s book? I was so moved by it!

  2. mbethany says

    May 10, 2016 at 2:18 pm

    YES. Love this, Kathryn. Excited to read Come With Me. This picture is so vivid and something I’ve been learning in some of the things the Lord has asked of me lately. Knowing your “why” is also something we pray takes root among youth we know. So important. Thanks for sharing the wisdom! #TestimonyTuesday

    • Kathryn says

      May 10, 2016 at 2:24 pm

      Come With Me is SO good!

  3. TiffineyHolmes says

    May 11, 2016 at 11:38 am

    Hi Kathryn! I really like what you said about writing down your “Yes” story and giving it a heading and then coming back to it in times of doubt. That’s one good way to reassure ourselves of our faith in Christ. Thanks for sharing over at Holley Gerth’s Coffee for your heart. Have a blessed week!

    • Kathryn says

      May 13, 2016 at 9:55 pm

      I’ve found I need to keep reminding myself why I said “yes” and why I want to keep saying “yes”. It really helps to keep me focused and on the right path. Thanks for stopping by!

  4. blog8628 says

    May 13, 2016 at 6:20 am

    So good and encouraging. It is crucial to remember our why when things get out of whack. Great video, too!! Blessings!

  5. Jill says

    May 13, 2016 at 6:28 am

    Yes, Kathryn, yes! We all need to find our why and being open to the Spirit’s leading for us to dig deeper to find it. Through this process, we are then surrounded by His love and we can grow those roots into Him! I wrote on a similar theme this week too! ? Glad I stopped by from #GraceandTruth! Let’s keep reminding ourselves of our Why!

    • Kathryn says

      May 13, 2016 at 9:53 pm

      Loved your post! Let’s keep stepping forward and taking chances to follow Him!

  6. bcb0 says

    May 13, 2016 at 7:51 am

    Amen, Kathryn. Thankful for the “why” that draws me deeper…when my flesh is naive enough to choose shallow. Visiting from grace and truth today. Nice to meet you, Kathryn. ((grace upon grace))

    • Kathryn says

      May 13, 2016 at 9:48 pm

      Glad you stopped by! Love how God gives us each a “why”, if we’ll only be open to find it.

  7. betsydecruz says

    May 13, 2016 at 3:32 pm

    You’re rocking the videos, Kathryn! Good for you. You’re a natural. I need to think more about my why and write it down. I love the way you articulate this here. You scared me with your story. At first I thought you were talking about a literal experience when you were a kid. 🙂

    • Kathryn says

      May 13, 2016 at 9:46 pm

      Thanks, Betsy! I’ve discovered that I love doing these videos 🙂 And it was good to clarify my “why” for myself – helps me stay grounded.

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Hi, I'm Kathryn! I'm glad you're here to journey with me! I'm just an ordinary girl following an extraordinary God, learning to seek God's possible in this world of impossible. Fueled by loads of coffee, I'm passionate about helping and encouraging you along this journey, too! Let's step forward together and learn practical ways to live into God's possible! Read More…

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