Trent Ling has long been troubled over ministry brothers and sisters struggling substantially more when apart than when together. He laments, “Unsustainable is any course when we have become more than one person. Yes, we do many things and have various gifts and characteristics, but if we are not the same person in every environment, then we have let go of the commands of Christ, who was who he was regardless of situation.”
In the Trent TV video below, Trent tries to work toward the bottom of it by appealing to those who so struggle to come forward and shed light on the common yet destructive phenomenon in the human condition. Can the drop-off gap really be closed?
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The ‘Drop Off’ in my life clearly demonstrates what I’ve built with God personally. It particularly shows what I have ‘not’ built with the Lord and that would be a life that so necessitates his involvement that there is not time for a ‘Drop Off’. However, through the years I have sadly managed to stay somewhat afloat at times with little to no conviction. Consequently, this is quite obvious to my wife (who is a DOJ) when I’m not with my family of believers and it’s also obvious to those with eyes to see and ears to hear. If Hebrews 13:8 is true (which I believe it is), than my current efforts to gain a greater relationship with God is not in vain but rather necessary and detrimental for the Spiritual survival of my people and myself. Amen!
As one who may be considered a disciple of Jesus, I have “dropped-off” and certainly feel no foundation under my feet as I hang onto the cliff with my fingernails. What am I going to do about it is what I keep asking myself but have yet been able to answer that question humbly and honestly. I know where the answers are. And I know where I need to turn…the light! Thank you Trent for telling it like it is.
Before being a disciple, I always made up stories about where I lived and my dad’s job–I didn’t want my friends to know I lived in a village and my dad was a driver. This is just one example; I did many things like that. I can be grateful about where I grew up and what my parents did now because of God. The thing about not being the same person is that you know it and want to get out of it, but it just gets worse and then the tendency to just live with it forever comes; but God provides a way out. It is so freeing–and you can feel it, too–to walk securely, to be able to focus on what matters to God because the heavy feeling is gone now. Love to all.
I’m with Mel, before I was a disciple I had a double life too. Bottom line, without my reverence toward God who had freed me from that life, you and I will end up “here” – in the category Trent’s talking about. Even if you call yourself a disciple of Christ… without having fellowship in the light with one another and have NO reverence toward God who watches every move you makes you’ll go home and back to your do want you want mode. Nehemiah 5:9 So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies?
Love you 🙂
Trent, before I became a Disciple, I always felt I had two personalities. Melvin, with all of his roles (father, husband, teacher, friend, brother etc.) and then, there was the secret Melvin. This secret Melvin indulged in sin, knew clearly that this secret life existed, and worst of all, hated the light for fear that my sins were going to be exposed (John 3:20). As we know Jesus in the light of this world (John 8:12) and what I did not realize was that I was really hating Him. I was actively and knowingly trampling his blood and insulting the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 10:29) with my every evil deed.
The day I came to the light both personalities became one. It was amazing! After 30 years of faking a religious standing or pedigree, I was finally whole. The burden of fighting the secret Melvin left, the shame connected to it disappear, the anxiety of hiding it vanished, but above all, I found my true personality in Christ. Now that I know who I am in Christ…I refuse to go back to my chains!
Now I know that to avoid falling prisoner to those chains again I have to do two things. 1. Stay under the Lord’s coverage of grace and mercy which gives me the power over sin, and 2. I must STAY IN THE LIGHT at all times to avoid sin creeping into my life.
Trent, I fellowship completely with what you posted today. 1 John 1: 7 says “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” If we truly want to have fellowship with one another, we have to be in the light with one another. Only then we will experiment the blessings and oasis (as Dave mentioned) of true fellowship as Brothers and Sisters in Christ.
Love you,
Mel
This humility is awesome! I know I put a lot of thought into just trying to stay above the water both spiritually and with all my responsibilities. There is so much thought at times, it bogs me down. During that “bog down” I can often get discouraged and lose direction and then more discouragement comes in as I see where I am losing ground. Instead of attacking the problem, slowing down and doing one thing at a time, I am now trying to do the one thing with an attitude of despair because there is so much needing to be done. Sometimes my whole day runs that way because I see what God is after and am discouraged that He’s not getting it because of my failure in organization, process, structure etc… My only hope is God! When I am with my brothers and sisters, I am with my family of God. It is like an oasis from my daily life. Although recently it has me thinking more about what needs to be done spiritually! So now I am recharged with what God needs done! Again, though, I can bog down from my priorities. Recently “calm down” was part of a message – that helped greatly!
Also there are other times where after all of the efforts, I am tired – and rest – but it really isn’t a time to rest when there is so much needing to be done. Losing focus of priorities is huge! I am known for “being distracted” and if I get on a tangent that I prioritize wrongly, I am now aimless and becoming unproductive. “Focus” has been my nemesis and again my only hope has been in God!
I spend so much time just trying to write my thoughts down correctly! I was thinking just the other day and singing “God Rescue Us” I don’t remember all the words, but the chorus is perfect for me! Again, my only hope is in God! I will add more if more is available – right now this is what I see. Ugh! Love you