One of the most challenging parts of the Christian walk is...
...what?
Humility? Obedience? Consistency? Trust?
What is it for you now, and has it changed over the years?
Right now, I believe for me it is trust. There are so many unknowns.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding
Psalm 9:10 And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
I have to trust that even if God never heals Beth's arthritis, she is going to thrive spiritually and emotionally...that neither bitterness nor envy will steal away her joy in Christ...that she will be able to have children and care for them without serious pain...that her strong medicines will not destroy her health over time...that my love will guide her to acceptance and peace.
Psalm 112:7 He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.
I have to trust that even if God never heals Peter's OCD and ADHD, Peter is going to live for Christ and work hard to care for himself and his family, accepting and compensating well for his differences, without bitterness or envy, for the glory of God.
Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Right now, specifically, I have to trust that God will provide a job for me, in His timing. I've completed a childcare profile on Care.com, paid for a background check, advertised on Craigslist, and spread the word locally. Now, it's a wait game, not knowing when my lifestyle will drastically change, or if it will at all.
Did I read God right? Is this what He wants?
I confess I keep checking to see if anyone has responded. Was my ad all wrong? Not enough information...too much? How long might this take?
After clicking refresh way too many times, it hit me. What am I doing? What can't I do the leg work and let it go...walk away and go on with my day, knowing that God has a plan for everything, including my next job, despite my not having worked for 9 years?
I thought I had the spiritual gift of faith, but now I'm not sure.
This trust? It's hard. Trust is the day-to-day manifestation of faith. Trust is believing that God is good, all the time. Trust is believing that the outcomes--even if unexpected and different from what we prayed--will prove better than what we hoped for. And not better in terms of comfort so much, but better spiritually all around.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Trust is living free, letting go...falling backwards without care. In essence, trust is daily living on a spiritual plane, rather than on a physical one. We trust not in our daily physical comfort, but in our daily spiritual growth.
And we get there how? We stay there how?
It's not something we learn one time and keep with us forever. Trust requires refresher courses, as does much of the Christian life. That's why we walk with Christ. We have to tether ourselves to him, much like the European child leashes you see in crowded public places. Children tethered to their parents--something that shocks us Westerners.
I tether myself to Christ by observing my prayer time. The Holy Spirit speaks to me as I release it all in prayer, asking for Christ to reign in me.
I tether myself to Christ by keeping Believers close, who sharpen me in the faith.
I tether myself to Christ by memorizing his Word.
I tether myself to Christ by loving His Word, and picking it up and opening it and reading it.
I tether myself to Christ by studying spiritual concepts through serious Bible study.
I tether myself to Christ by choosing Christian music to bring my thoughts captive to Christ.
Isaiah 26:3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
Sometimes, when I'm not actively tethering, I pursue certainty instead and certainty becomes my God. I become consumed with outcomes and possibilities, but the Holy Spirit doesn't leave me there. The Shepherd comes calling for me. "Where are you, dear sheep? I no longer see you."
Psalm 91:1-16 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, ...
The Good Shepherd opens my eyes and brings me back into the fold...me, a wayward sheep.
Me...a contented sheep, glad to be back in the Shepherd's fold, enjoying the spiritual bounty.
Are you tethered and enjoying His bounty today?
Isaiah 43:2-3 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
...what?
Humility? Obedience? Consistency? Trust?
What is it for you now, and has it changed over the years?
Right now, I believe for me it is trust. There are so many unknowns.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding
Psalm 9:10 And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
I have to trust that even if God never heals Beth's arthritis, she is going to thrive spiritually and emotionally...that neither bitterness nor envy will steal away her joy in Christ...that she will be able to have children and care for them without serious pain...that her strong medicines will not destroy her health over time...that my love will guide her to acceptance and peace.
Psalm 112:7 He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.
I have to trust that even if God never heals Peter's OCD and ADHD, Peter is going to live for Christ and work hard to care for himself and his family, accepting and compensating well for his differences, without bitterness or envy, for the glory of God.
Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Right now, specifically, I have to trust that God will provide a job for me, in His timing. I've completed a childcare profile on Care.com, paid for a background check, advertised on Craigslist, and spread the word locally. Now, it's a wait game, not knowing when my lifestyle will drastically change, or if it will at all.
Did I read God right? Is this what He wants?
I confess I keep checking to see if anyone has responded. Was my ad all wrong? Not enough information...too much? How long might this take?
After clicking refresh way too many times, it hit me. What am I doing? What can't I do the leg work and let it go...walk away and go on with my day, knowing that God has a plan for everything, including my next job, despite my not having worked for 9 years?
I thought I had the spiritual gift of faith, but now I'm not sure.
This trust? It's hard. Trust is the day-to-day manifestation of faith. Trust is believing that God is good, all the time. Trust is believing that the outcomes--even if unexpected and different from what we prayed--will prove better than what we hoped for. And not better in terms of comfort so much, but better spiritually all around.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Trust is living free, letting go...falling backwards without care. In essence, trust is daily living on a spiritual plane, rather than on a physical one. We trust not in our daily physical comfort, but in our daily spiritual growth.
And we get there how? We stay there how?
It's not something we learn one time and keep with us forever. Trust requires refresher courses, as does much of the Christian life. That's why we walk with Christ. We have to tether ourselves to him, much like the European child leashes you see in crowded public places. Children tethered to their parents--something that shocks us Westerners.
I tether myself to Christ by observing my prayer time. The Holy Spirit speaks to me as I release it all in prayer, asking for Christ to reign in me.
I tether myself to Christ by keeping Believers close, who sharpen me in the faith.
I tether myself to Christ by memorizing his Word.
I tether myself to Christ by loving His Word, and picking it up and opening it and reading it.
I tether myself to Christ by studying spiritual concepts through serious Bible study.
I tether myself to Christ by choosing Christian music to bring my thoughts captive to Christ.
Isaiah 26:3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
Sometimes, when I'm not actively tethering, I pursue certainty instead and certainty becomes my God. I become consumed with outcomes and possibilities, but the Holy Spirit doesn't leave me there. The Shepherd comes calling for me. "Where are you, dear sheep? I no longer see you."
Psalm 91:1-16 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, ...
The Good Shepherd opens my eyes and brings me back into the fold...me, a wayward sheep.
Me...a contented sheep, glad to be back in the Shepherd's fold, enjoying the spiritual bounty.
Are you tethered and enjoying His bounty today?
Isaiah 43:2-3 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
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