Spiritual survival

We have all watched the survival reality shows that follow a guy through different situations and they show you how to survive in difficult times. (Like most of us would find ourselves in those situations!) But never the less, over a period of time you are saturated with information on how to survive if you ever need to. It would probably surprise you how much you would be able to remember if you really did need it. Sometimes our spiritual walk is a survive or die situation. I know that some of my Calvinist friends would argue with me on this, but if we are honest we could say that sometimes following Jesus is difficult. Sometimes we find ourselves in environments that are hostile to Christianity. Without proper knowledge or training we will be overwhelmed by the hostility. So what do you do when you do find yourself there? What do we need in order to survive spiritually? I want to give you some basics that can help us to survive spiritually hostile environments. 1. Be still. One of the greatest dangers to someone who is in unfamiliar territory is to continue to move around. What happens is that we find ourselves in greater danger. What few things I did have for bearings are completely gone. "I do not recognize anything now and do not know how to get back where I was." We will suffer from sensory overload. What hope we did have will evaporate. It will seem as if death itself is certain. Many Christians find themselves in hostile territory only to start running in every direction, when what they need to do is be still. Survival experts advise us to stay put until someone finds you. There is a better chance of being found where you are when you realize you are lost then when you take off and no one, including yourself, do not know where you are. If you find yourself in unknown territories, sit down and establish camp. Wait until someone finds you. Do not try to find your way out alone. You are lost for a reason. 2. Try to alert others to your situation. There are basic things in real world survival that experts always use to help others locate their position. Things like 3 fires, writing SOS in the sand, making flags to wave back and forth, anything that is out of place to help others know where we are positioned. We have this false understanding or assumption that other should know where we are ALL the time. That is impossible. Most people are doing good knowning where they are! That assumption is increased in the church. You know we are to be "spiritual." There is only one Jesus and only He could see the hearts of others. We are not Him. Therefore, others need help to know where we are. It can be as simple as saying, "Hey would you pray for me." "Hey I am having a difficult time." Throw up a smoke signal, light a fire, do something to help others locate your position, because rescue is more likely if others know where we are. We have to assist in our own rescue.3. Look for food. Spiritual survival may take some time. It may take time for others to realize that you did not arrive back at the appointed time. Even if they locate you, it may be so remote that it will take a long time to get to you and get you out. But in that time you will need something to sustain your health. Spiritually hostile environments are very depleting. It sometimes takes all your energy just to survive. So you will need to replinish what you have lost. In spiritual survival there are somethings that will keep you healthy during the rescue process. Prayer: Prayer is essential in spiritual survival. Mainly, because you are in an isolated situation. We need communication to keep our bearings. Prayer is a spiritual survival tool that be a life saver. Bible study: Simply reading the Word of God in survival situations may be the only spiritual food available. Stay connected: Again, too often we strike out in a direction forfeiting the safety of our current position. In that we to lose any sense of location. Staying connected to the church is the most overlooked survival tool God gives us to increase our chances of rescue. It is familiar territory, we have a better chance of others seeing our alerts than if we are striking out through the forest alone. 4. Stay alert. We sometimes miss the rescue party because we have given up hope of any survival. We begin to believe that no one is looking for us or even that no one cares. The truth is they are fighting with everything they have to get to you. They are trying to determine your last known location. They are making plans to rescue in a way that will not cause others to get lost in the process. And they may be just around the corner, but because we have let down our guard and given up on any hope of rescue we do not hear them or notice them when they are right next to us. If we are going to survive spiritually we must maintain the hope of rescue. When we give up that hope of rescue we give up on those trying to reach us. These are just some practical things that we overlook when it comes to following Jesus. Jesus promises that it WILL be difficult and we WILL go through hostile environments, but He also promises that He has given us some survival tools to aid in our endurance and rescue. We just need to use them.