Active Theology

The journey of our lives can be told from the perspective of life’s valleys. I’ve been through two major valleys in my life and both of them transformed me.

The first one came when I was terminated from a job at a church. Much of my identity came from that position, itself an incredibly unhealthy fixation, and the loss was enormous. I lost friends, community, normal rhythms, confidence, and a sense that I was a part of something bigger. I sank into depression, feeling an acute sense of God’s distance. I was also extremely lonely due to a loss of relationships that came from having a daily workplace where I saw people regularly. There were also some enormous blessings in that valley – God weaned me off the false identity I had placed in my job and the recognition I got from being on stage. I discovered new friends and a new community. I eventually was restored into one of the most fruitful seasons of ministry in my life. But nonetheless, that valley was hard.

A second valley came in my life when I had finished a church planting residency and decided not to pursue church planting. I was lost. I didn’t have a job. I ended up moving back to Kansas and living in my parents basement, surviving by speaking at camps in the summer and filling in at whatever church needed a preacher. I was depressed, addicted to pain medication, wrestled with pornography, and felt directionless. During this time God again surrounded me with some unexpected friends, and eventually a new opportunity in Kansas City that led to a mostly fruitful 7 year ministry where I met my wife and started a family. Valleys are formative even though you can’t really see that while you’re in them. The other day I was thinking about the valleys of my life as I worked through Tony Stoltzfus’ Calling Journey and the stages of a leader’s life. He uses the story of Joseph in Genesis to track the general trajectory of spiritual leadership that seems to recur again and again in the lives of Christian leaders. He says every leader goes through three valleys: the valley of dependence, the valley of wholeness, and the valley of identity.

The Bible is filled with significant valleys that are instructive to all Christians as we seek to determine the ways he is leading and guiding us in the specific season of life that we’re in:

The Valley of Achor was where Joshua had Achan and his family executed because Achan hid some of the devoted items of conquest in his tent. As a result, Israel was defeated in battle. It was a valley in Israel’s memory that represented the consequences of concealment. People enter a valley of Achor whenever their sin is found out and they have to deal with the consequences. Yet, once Achan’s sin was dealt with, the Lord restored Israel’s favor to win a decisive battle. Hosea 2:15 describes the Valley of Achor as a place where a “door of hope” will be opened for God’s people. It represents the freedom and hope that come from bringing one’s sin into the open.

The Valley of the Shadow of Death in Psalm 23 is a dark ravine people are usually forced into by illness, awful circumstances, and times in life when their mortality is front and center. In this valley, the Shepherd promises to walk alongside us.

The Valley of Jezreel, also called Armageddon, represents the site of the final battle between the forces of good and evil in the book of Revelation. In biblical history, decisive battles were won and lost. This was a valley of blood throughout history due to the enormous wars waged on its fields. It stands as a reminder that one day a war will be won that ends all wars, and it is to that day we can look with hope.

The Valley of Elah, where David fought Goliath, is a symbol of the Gospel in which a substitutionary champion defeated evil against enormous odds, and his victory is imputed to the entire nation.

The Valley of Vision in Isaiah 22 is a place of false celebrations, where though Jerusalem celebrates the withdraw of Sennacherib of Assyria, they cannot fathom that an even worse enemy is coming in the future in Babylon. It’s a place where people’s eyes are opened to see reality as it actually is. Sometimes God allows us to get into a valley so that we can actually own up to our own sin, or see things around us with clarity, and let go of the false securities that distract us from the truth.

The Valley of Jehoshopat, called the Kidron Valley (or the valley of decision) in Jesus’ time, represents the ravine Jesus crossed frequently to go to the Garden of Gethsemane to spend time with his heavenly father in prayer. This valley is one we enter into willingly, to get away from normal responsibilities and to force ourselves to eliminate distractions in order to get away to be with God.

If you’re at a low point in your life for whatever reason, a good question to ask yourself might be: “what sort of valley am I in?” Did you enter this valley voluntarily? Involuntarily? What does God want to do in you in this valley?

• In the Valley of Achor, God opens a door.
• In the Valley of the Shadow, God walks with us as a Shepherd.
• In the Valley of Jezreel God wins the ultimate victory.
• In the Valley of Vision, God reveals truth to us.
• In the Valley of Elah, God reminds us of the Gospel.
• In the Valley of Jehoshophat, God just wants to be with us.

Whatever valley you’re in, may your ears and your heart perk up, because in my experience the valley is precisely where Jesus wants to meet us and draw close to us. And God reserves his most dramatic transformation of our hearts for those times that all the other comforts of life are taken away – in the valley as it were.

Pray: Heavenly father, help me discern what you’re up to in this valley in which I find myself. Help me to know that you’re a good Shepherd, whose paths of righteousness also lead into valleys. Help me to be sensitive to your presence and to know and feel that you’re near, to hear the wisdom I need to. Identify ways of thinking in me that are offensive to you. Shine light on the areas of my life that need to come into alignment with you. And help me to be with you through this valley. Amen.

Song: “In the Valley (Bless the Lord)” by CityAlight

Luke is a pastor in the Kansas City area. Luke is committed to telling and retelling the story of Jesus in a way that captures the wonder of God and moves people towards amazement at His love for them through preaching, teaching, and writing. He is married to Shanna and has two daughters and a son. For two decades Luke has been in ministry and has watched God work powerfully in his life and in the lives of others, and continues to draw great joy from sharing the good news of Jesus with people that have never heard as often as he gets the chance. You can see more of his writings at luketylerwright.substack.com