Formed by the Wind: Choosing Your True Northಮಾದರಿ

The second temptation Jesus faced in the wilderness was to be spectacular.

"Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 'If you are the Son of God,' he said, 'throw yourself down'" (Matt. 4:5-6 NIV).

Satan essentially told Jesus, "Grab their attention and admiration. Turn your divinity into a sideshow. Become a circus animal." Jesus knew this wasn't his Father's will, and he knew that to go outside of God's will was to test God.

I face this temptation regularly in ministry. Say something worth writing down. Do something people will talk about. Attract more people.

Can I share something with you? I believe one of our greatest fears is that we are ordinary. Many young people dream of being famous. In a recent survey, young people's primary career aspiration was to be a social media influencer or YouTube star.

On social media, our ordinary lives can feel unspectacular as we scroll through an endless highlight reel of other people's seemingly extraordinary experiences. Author Jon Acuff wisely observed, "We compare our behind-the-scenes footage with everyone else's highlight reel."

How many times have you diminished your worth by saying, "I'm just a ____________"? Just a mom. Just a teacher. Just an office worker. Just a student.

When facing adversity, we often feel pressured to do something dramatic to escape our circumstances or to prove God's presence in our lives. We want God to show up in spectacular ways that everyone can see, validating our faith and making our suffering worthwhile in the eyes of others.

But what if God calls us to faithful endurance rather than spectacular deliverance?

I remember going through a challenging season when everything seemed to fall apart. I prayed for a dramatic intervention—for God to show up in ways that amazed everyone around me. Instead, God provided daily strength to get through each day. No dramatic testimony. No viral story of God's miraculous provision. Just quiet faithfulness.

Sometimes, we are tempted to choose between being spectacular and faithful. Jesus chose faithfulness to his Father over the spectacular display Satan suggested.

Most spiritual formation happens in ordinary moments of faithfulness that no one else sees. The decision to trust God when you're afraid. The choice to forgive when you're bitter. The commitment to integrity, even when no one would notice the difference.

God's work in our lives often resembles the slow growth of fruit more than the sudden flash of lightning.

Tomorrow, we'll explore the third temptation Jesus faced. But first, I challenge you to embrace the ordinary path of faithfulness that God has set before you, trusting that He is working even when no one else can see it. What’s one ordinary way you can be faithful to Jesus today?