All in Faith, Prayer, Work
We long for freedom, and to be our own men and women, but what does freedom really mean? So many feel that freedom means that they are not to be subservient to anyone, when what it really means is that we are free to serve whomever we choose. As patriots we serve our country, as husbands and wives we serve our families, but as Christians we find the greatest of all service... we find that our freedom is founded in serving the Lord, and making Him the focus of our lives.
Are we double minded, approaching our faith in one manner, while leading a different life in the world? On the Sabbath do we praise God, and say that we will put no other God before Him, then walk back into our homes and businesses placing our possessions, and gold, above all else? Do we pray fervently when desperate, but mumble mindless prayers over our meals each day when there is plenty? If we live in such a way as this we are lost indeed.
How are we in our faith today? Are we having a good day, or a bad day? Did we open our eyes this morning with a prayer of thanksgiving on our lips, or were our first thoughts about something in our earthly lives that we were worried about? As Christians we often end our day by turning over our concerns to God in bedtime prayer, then sleep soundly through the night, only to open our eyes in the morning to take those things back again... We lean on the promises of God at one moment, and not in the next, yet God’s promises are not meant to be whimsical, but everlasting.
There is a difference between faith, and imagination. Both dwell in our minds, but faith springs from trusting the Word of God, and the gospel of Jesus Christ, whereas imagination is founded on fantasy, and the concoctions of our own mind. Some who say “I am a Christian“ are guilty of folding the two into one way of worshiping as they seek what is easy or pleasing to them in God’s will, while imagining the hardships and suffering to be useless, and not of the Lord.
When we first hear God calling us to follow Jesus Christ, or later as Christians to do His will, and we ignore Him... do we think that He just goes away and that this is the end of it? Sometimes we attempt to treat God as if He were one of our fantasies, and if we ignore Him then He will vanish, but nothing could be further from the truth. Even in our faithlessness, our disobedience, or when we turn our back on Him... He is there, and He remains God.
Just as we pray for our physical wellbeing, we should also pray for our hearts, minds, and souls. It is so easy to concentrate on the outward pains and the worldly needs of our physical selves, but the worst of all pain emanates from our heart, and our spirit; they are born of a damaged faith. They well up in us from an aching deep within our soul. We see the wounds made to our flesh, but is our soul bleeding, and suffering today?
Are we holding firm to our faith in Jesus Christ as the world boils and evil seeks to destroy the peace and rest of God in us? In the midst of the world’s darkness that is stirring strife, even from the pulpits, there shines forth a light, and in that light we find not only our life, but the light which is the life of the world... Jesus. He is unlike every lamp, or torch, because He can’t be extinguished, not by deception, lies, or any other sin. He has defeated these through His own life, death, and resurrection, and His brightness lights our way as we navigate the darkness of the fallen world, even death, that surrounds us.
When we are going through a trying time in our life how do we react to it? Do we worry, and stress, over what is occurring to the point that our health is affected, or do we turn to the Lord, and trust in Him to calm the turbulence that is buffeting us? Fear is a natural occurrence in life, but too much of it is detrimental to our wellbeing. God looks after His children, and can fix any problem that is tossing us about, but is our faith strong enough to trust in Him, and do we do His will?
Expecting a miracle, and being confident in our rescue; such behaviors have a profound impact on our psyche, wellbeing, and our spiritual health. When we lean on our God in full expectation that He will do the things He has promised, not doubting His presence, and relying confidently on His Word, then He will strengthen us, and neither our bodies, nor minds will fail, and He will heal our souls.
When do we feel closest to God? Do we feel Him most when our stomachs are full, our lives are comfortable, and we have plenty of water to quench our thirst? If that were so then why is it that people are most inclined to wander away from Him at times such as this? No, we are most centered before Him when we are experiencing tribulation, and doing the hard things of His will. It is through the lenses of our tears that we see God most clearly, and It is also through them that He looks back at us, finding our soul, and peering deep into our heart... with perfect clarity.
Faith, it is not visible except in the works that are created by it. Is it possible to love without expressing that love in some tangible manner; a hug, a kiss, a marriage? No, love drives us to show it to one another, and faith is the same. When we have faith in Jesus, and God, we have no option but to show it to them in some manner. What is very interesting is that doing works of faith usually involves loving or doing something good, or merciful, for another person. We express our love for God by allowing Him to see our hearts, but we show our faith in Him by our obedience to his will... by our works.
We read in scripture that Jesus has overcome the world, and we find a wonderful fuel source for our faith in that knowledge as we place our burdens on Him, but what does this have to do with us? Anything? How do we lay claim to that power which Jesus speaks of? Is it possible for us to overcome the world as well? I can tell you that it is indeed possible, and as a matter of fact it is more than that... it is the truth... we can overcome the world, if we would only believe.
Whose interest are we promoting through our faith? Are we seeking a smoother way for ourselves through life, or perhaps a fine meal at God's table in heaven after we take our last breath? Are we obeying God’s Word and commandments out of self-interest, or to serve the same interests of Jesus Christ? Jesus loved God, obeyed His will, and in every aspect of Christ’s life His sole purpose was to glorify God. Do we live out our faith in this manner? Is our every desire meant to do these same things that Jesus taught us?
Have we prayed for our faith today, and if so, how about the faith of another? Jesus prayed for the faith of Peter when Satan asked for permission to sift him Like wheat, then He went on to tell him that he would deny him three times before the cock crowed. What would have happened to Peter without the prayer of Jesus? What would happen to us, and those we know without our prayers for strengthened faith?
We may serve the Lord, pray eloquent prayers, give to the poor, and do all of those other commandments and mercies that God’s Word speaks of, but does that make us righteous? Does that make us Holy? At the end of the day are we any closer to our Heavenly Father? The question in doing any of these things should be this: “Am I doing this thing lovingly, and because I love the Lord?”, and if we stutter in our response, or can’t honestly say “Yes!”, then it is time to stop doing them and look closer at our faith, our heart, and our relationship with God.