Natalie Runion on Staying Faithful When God Calls You to Speak
- Maina Mwaura CrosswalkHeadlines Contributor
- Published Nov 08, 2024
After Natalie Runion's much acclaimed and USA Today bestselling book, Raised to Stay, Runion feels like God has called her to carry on the conversation on why our churches need a revival on being led back to God. Although Runion doesn't see herself as a prophet in the wilderness, she does admit that when God calls her to say something to his people, writing is the next thing to follow suit, which is why she felt like the time was right to follow up the conversation with her audience on addressing why the church should direct itself back to God.
Crosswalk Headlines: Where were you when the Holy Spirit asked you to write The House That Jesus Built?
Natalie Runion: It's crazy because Raised to Stay, my first book, wasn't even out into the world yet. I had just turned in my final draft of my first book when this title, The House That Jesus Built, just was rolling in my head over and over and over again. Jesus took me to the scripture where every time the people of God tore something down, he always had a plan for it to be rebuilt, whereas raised to stay was more of a deconstruction conversation, which needed to happen and still needs to happen. We need to talk about healthy deconstruction. But God never left the people in the rubble. He always had a blueprint for how they were to rebuild, whether people wanted to rebuild or not. There was always a rebuilding process.
CWH: What can we learn from following the disciples to staying on mission?
NR: You think about even when Jesus ascended in front of the disciples. I mean, first of all, let the disciples be an example to us all that we can lose a leader and stay on mission. Jesus left us the Holy Spirit as his disciples to help us stay on mission.
CWH: What gave you the courage to write another book while the first book was being newly fashioned?
NR: I think ignorance is bliss. When you haven't done it, you don't know what you're saying yes to. I had enough of this childlike faith to think, you know if God's given me the message, then he's going to do with it what he will. I think of Matthew when Jesus is talking to the disciples, and he's like, look, you know; it doesn't matter. It's not a matter of if, but it's more when. When you find yourself pulled into a public square, you're going to have to defend your faith, defend this message, but don't worry about what you're going to say because I'm going to give you the words, and if you speak my words, then nobody can hurt you. What can people do to you? And so I felt prophetically that if God gave me the message, He would take it where He wanted it to go. I have to be obedient to release this word.
CWH: How do you live by this faith?
NR: At this point, what's our option? Obedience is our only option, and what the world views as success is not even on the kingdom spectrum. If I'm obedient to deliver this word, it's going to be successful in the kingdom. And I may not see the fruit of it until I hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant," but I've got this fire in my bones, and I'm going to release what God's given me.
CWH: How much did being around other believers help you during the writing process of the book?
NR: I had the blessing and privilege of traveling to local churches around the globe, so while I'm writing this book, I am with some of the best pastors and leaders that I have had the privilege of knowing. What was so encouraging about it is that I was being encouraged by them, realizing there are more healthy pastors and healthy churches in the world than unhealthy pastors and unhealthy churches. My faith is being strengthened as I'm writing this book, and wishing that everyone could experience this kind of thing.
Photo Credit: ©Facebook/Natalie Runion
