Survival Mode
It's no way for Christians to live.

David Yerry

I walked along the wet pavement, looking down at my feet as a light mist covered my face. I sensed someone approaching, and glanced up. There was Henry, walking toward me. His crewcut and chiseled features contrasted with his upbeat, cheerful voice. "How's it going?" he asked. "I'm surviving," is what came out of my mouth.

Then he said it. I can remember it as if only a few moments had passed, even though it has been decades since it happened. "Anyone can survive," he stated matter-of-factly, and passed me by.

Anyone can survive? Who is he kidding? I thought. What does he know about survival? I'm the one in classes to become a missionary, putting in long periods of study followed by hours at work, and Henry works in heating and plumbing, for crying out loud! I told myself as I continued on. How can he possibly know what I'm going through?

Over the years, I came to understand that Henry knew a great deal about survival. He still labors just as faithfully for the Lord as he did when he began serving him years ago. All of these years he has gone unrewarded, at least by earthly measurements. Never once did I hear him complain, even during the years he and his wife cared for their severely handicapped son. Henry knew how to live in a close-knit relationship with Christ that drew him beyond the daily routine. He could see the eternal value of everything he did.

Survival. At its basic level, the word simply means to come out on the other side—alive. Not necessarily that you did something heroic, but more along the lines of having endured. To make it through something difficult.

But Christ has so much more in mind for us than merely surviving, simply existing, or going through the motions. I know it's an easy trap to fall into, especially in these tough economic times that are pummeling so many ministries. It's easy to begin believing that it's time to back off a bit, grind it out, and try to make it through in one piece.

A hopeless feeling can begin to creep in. You have invested significant time leading within your organization, driving toward change, streamlining operations, and improving frontlines ministry. Yet when you take time to step back and look, the marble block you've been working on seems to have no more shape than it did when you first began.

And the weight of "what does it matter?" and "what am I contributing?" pushes you further toward survival mode, as you start to believe that most of the things you're giving yourself to aren't really worth the time and effort if you can't see progress.

Survival mode is just the first step in what is really a downward spiral. It's the first signpost on the path toward that "root of bitterness" that Scripture warns us about. And that bitterness is what causes so many people to finish poorly.

So what's the antidote? How do we get past enduring in order to engage again? How do we fight the negativity that comes from seeing the waters of our endeavors stagnate? What can we do when we recognize that we've moved from succeeding to surviving?

We can begin by recognizing that understanding you're in survival mode is cause for great excitement! It means that God has some new thing he wants you to see. Without the difficulty, without the frustration that comes with the plateau, you would probably never move out in new, creative ways.

But you reply, "I can't see it!" You won't see it until you force your thinking out of the ruts and patterns you have carved out over time. You have to change it up, find a new perspective, and approach it with creativity, as if you have just walked into the circumstance for the first time.

You must believe beyond what you can see that he has the solution for you to thrive. He has promised to always lead us in triumphal procession in Christ (2 Cor. 2:14). He is sure to lead, but we must place ourselves in the position of following.

I saw Henry the other day. He greeted me in his usual, cheerful voice. "How's it going?" he asked. "Great!" I replied.

Anyone can survive, I thought.

David Yerry is vice president of donor ministries with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Yerry has more than 30 years of nonprofit experience, as well as voluntary service in various ministries. He holds a degree in theology and missions from Bethany College of Missions, and a degree in business administration from Crown College.

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