Friction

"The problem of speeding up the movement of a vehicle is that of applying power to overcome friction.' This is a quotation from a book called Quest of Speed. What hinders our spiritual speed? If there be anything in which my will is not in accord with God's will, then there is friction, and that keeps me back. I cannot fly in spirit ('mount up with wings as eagles'), I cannot 'run, and not be weary', I cannot 'walk, and not faint', till my will is content with God's will. As I though over this, I knew that the only way to end the friction is the way shown in that wonderful verse in Isaiah 40.31: 'But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings of eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.' 'Wait' means expect, look for, hope. God has something much better for us than the thing we naturally desire. As we wait with all the desire of our mind fixed on Him, the thing we naturally long for becomes less pressing, the friction ceases, and so we are set free to go on. God knows there are few things more difficult to do than to give up our own desires. It is not a thing we do once for all, it comes again and again as Satan tries to make friction between our will and God's. Our dear Lord knew this trial of spirit and He gloriously conquered. He can make it possible for us to do what He Himself did in the Garden of Gethsemane. 'My grace [the grace that was His then] is sufficient for thee.'

It helps often, when we feel things most impossibly difficult, to turn from everything and just look at Him. As we look at Him we love Him. We cannot help loving Him, and where love is, there friction is not."-- Amy Carmichael, Thou Givest...They Gather