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Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)
A few years ago the then-governor of Minnesota made the statement that “Faith is for weak-minded people.” However, weak-minded faith is faith in something that isn’t true. Weak-minded faith is faith in a lie, a system, a human, a philosophy.
Faith in the one and only triune God isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of strength and courage. It’s faith with a capital ‘F’.
A person with this kind of Faith has the strength to face the challenges of life with the attitude that says I’ll do what I can to make my world better, knowing all the while that the success of my venture isn’t dependent on me but on God.
A person of Faith makes mistakes. Sometimes those mistakes are huge. Sometimes those mistakes are willful choices to take the easy way. But in the end the person of faith is secure in knowing that they are loved by God. This person of faith, even when far from where he/she wants to be continues to battle back. Knowing all the while that their ‘righteousness’ isn’t based on their actions but on their hearts desire for a fulfilling relationship with God.
A person of Faith sees the social ills of the world around him/her and works to make them better all the while making the sacrifices needed to show the love and grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. Even to those people who they disagree with. Even to those people who abuse the system. This person knows that true justice will never come to this world at the hands of mankind but still works towards that end.
A person of Faith looks at family and friends who are living apart from God and loves them back into the kingdom. They realize that restoration of the soul takes time and effort and prayer. They realize that relationship is more important than condemnation and that restoration is done better with gentle hands and patience than a sledge hammer and duct tape.
A person of Faith thinks before he/she talks. Puts themselves in the other person’s shoes before taking action to change things. Loves in the midst of hatred. Brings an attitude of calm in the midst of the storm. A person of Faith realizes that the still quiet voice based on Godly principles is much louder that a beating drum and blaring speakers or legalism.
PRAYER: Father God. I want to be a person of Faith. I’m so frustrated right now with where I find myself on the journey of life. I’m angered and frightened by what I see going on around me both on the world-wide scale and in my own corner of the world. Empower me with your spirit to practice strong faith. Faith that says no matter what happens I know you are in complete control. Help my actions be the change-agent my loved ones need. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:15-16 (NLT)
Does it seem to you like the more intelligent we get and the better we get at communicating, the harder it is to know the right answers to the questions of life? Take a look at the struggles around the world. Look at the problems in your own home. Your Church. Your community. What of these problems could be resolved by relationships based on the mind of Christ?
The answer of course, if you are a Christ-follower, is most likely, all of them! The problem is, each of us needs to remember that we live in a world that doesn’t ‘have the mind of Christ’. What does the mind of Christ look like? One needs only look at the gospels.
Jesus lived in a political climate that could best be described as a dictatorship. The Jews, of which Jesus was one, were looked upon as a bunch of religious lunatics! In a society that worshipped many gods, the Jews held to the ridiculous notion that there was one God! There was absolute truth in Judaism, whereas Greco/Roman thinking held to truth on a relative scale. Sound familiar?
Yet the mindset of Christ rose above evil governments, empty religion and a godless society. He lived the kind of life that was attractive to the prostitute, the drug addict, the person held captive by lust or their past or physical and emotional abuse. The mind of Jesus gave enlightenment and wisdom in situations that needed solutions to life. He didn’t concern himself with the external situations. He neither went against or supported any political agenda. His mind was set on helping people cope with the journey called life.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could have the wisdom to sort through things? Wouldn’t it be great if you could rise above earthly concerns and have the wisdom to find answers for yourself and others in your own little niche’ of the world?
Good news! You can. Paul tells us we have the mind of Christ when we accept him as Savior. Does that mean things on this earth will be easy? Certainly not. Does that mean others will see you as wise? Not a chance.
What it does mean is that when you confess Jesus as Lord of your life he moves in for good. He isn’t just visiting. He’s making a change of residence. When Jesus moves in, lives change, outlook changes even when external circumstances attack, peace reigns.
PRAYER: Father, the more I see of life around me the more frustrated I get. People seem so set on their own agendas that they completely disregard the needs of others. Forgive me for the times I get sucked into that mindset. Empower me by your Spirit to see life as you see it. Help me to live in the wisdom of your word even when it’s contrary to ‘worldly wisdom’. Help others to see Jesus in me. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, Hebrews 6:1
Ever noticed how everyone is drawn to a baby? It’s always amazed me how a little, helpless bundle of flesh can turn otherwise normal and intelligent human beings into babbling idiots! Okay, maybe that was a bit strong, but how else do you describe the antics, silly words and gestures we do to make ‘baby’ smile?
We coo and aah. We smile and make funny faces. We say senseless things like “So Big!” What does that mean? What’s the significance of a 12 pound, 25 inch, bald bundle of joy spreading his or her arms and smiling like they have a clue as what you are talking about?
Okay, I’ve ranted on long enough on that. The fact of the matter, as I’ve stated earlier, is that we all love babies. There isn’t a one of us parents that haven’t said something to the effect of “I wish they wouldn’t grow up” as they leave the toddler years and become more independent. Then, of course they become teenagers and we change our tune to “I wish they’d just grow up!”
Fact of the matter is, if a baby doesn’t grow up and become more mature physically, emotionally and intellectually they simply can’t function in society. All of life is centered on the idea of maturing, growing and becoming more independent.
The same is true in our spiritual lives. The Apostle Paul talks of the Corinthian believers as being immature children still needing milk when they should be eating steak! Peter says something similar when he tells us we should long for the milk of the word so that we can grow up!
Too many times we get hung up in our walk with Christ. We are, so to speak spiritually, developmentally delayed. We focus on our failures when we should act on our freedom. We worry when we should work. We criticize when we should cooperate. We protect the ways we always did things when we should press on to new horizons.
Our God is not a shallow God. He is not stagnant. He is unchanging in character but not in how he interacts with others. Remember that in order for relationship, any relationship to be strong it must grow deeper. A love relationship is one in which two people continue to learn more and more about each other.
The same is true with God. Don’t get hung up on your past. Don’t get hung up on your failures. Don’t allow yourself to become stagnant because you don’t have this gift, or that ability or the right amount of money or resources. Grow deep with God. Devour His word. Don’t just read a passage, study it. Mediate on it. Talk with God often. Grace teaches us that your heavenly Father wants to deepen his relationship with you so that he can show you great and mighty things.
Be willing to listen and learn. Don’t be like the infant that never grows up. The closer you walk with God the deeper and more exciting your life will be.
PRAYER: Father God. I confess to you that sometimes I act more like a spiritual two-year old than an adult because I demand my own way even if it will harm me. Other times I’m like a teenager and think I know more than you do about how things should be. I get hung up on me rather than growing in you. Empower me with your spirit to grow deeper in my understanding of you. Help me love you more so I can live in the freedom you intended. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. John 13:15 (NLT)
“And Jesus had compassion…”
Those words spring up throughout the ministry of Jesus while he was on earth. He had compassion on the woman caught red-handed in bed with a man she wasn’t married to.
He had compassion on the parent whose child had just died or was very sick.
He had compassion on the rich young ruler who, tried as he might, just couldn’t do what was necessary to receive the gift of eternal life. He just couldn’t let go.
He had compassion on the traitor who sold out to the enemy and, as a result, was a social outcast.
He had compassion on the person so steeped in religion that he couldn’t comprehend the simple steps it took to receive eternal life.
He had compassion on those who were his closest friends and yet were more concerned about their own status than they were their brother.
He had compassion on the guard that beat him nearly to death and then pounded huge spikes into his already pain-filled flesh.
“He had compassion….”
Why did Jesus have compassion on so many people that rejected him, either openly, or unintentionally? What drove him so such lengths to give his very life for the very people who thought they took it from him?
Jesus had compassion because he knew the Father and knew that the Father was, in his very essence, compassion. That is what drove Jesus to reach out to the weak, the frail, the sick and the rebellious. And that’s what drives Jesus to reach out to you. Not a single deserved the touch of Jesus compassion. Not a single person can repay him for what he did. Neither can you.
Jesus says to us, “Follow my example”, and when he does so he is asking…commanding us rather, to show compassion in the same way that he did.
Our reaction to those around us is a reflection of our view of God. If we see a god of revenge we will seek justice rather than mercy. If we see a god of anger we will respond to those who have hurt us in anger. If we see an unforgiving god we will refuse to forgive those who have hurt us. But if we see a God of compassion, we will respond to those around us as Jesus did.
PRAYER: Father, once again I am humbled as I approach your throne today. I confess that it is easy to show compassion to those I don’t know, or those who are like me and who are kind to me. It’s hard to show compassion to the ‘bad people’ around me, yet that is what you would do. Fill me today with the power from your Spirit to show compassion to those who need it the most. Thank you for the example you gave us in Jesus. In his name I pray, Amen.
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God. 1 Corinthians 4:5
A few months ago I had the most bizarre thing happen to me. I went to a local electronics store to purchase a TV. I looked closely at the picture of each model. I asked the salesman some questions about the warranty and service history of each set and finally made a decision based largely on the quality of the set and its manufacture in the USA. An added bonus to the TV I bought was the rebate attached to my purchase.
But that isn’t the bizarre thing. That happened a few days later. I was watching the early news when the phone rang. Believe it or not, the caller on the other end of the line was the CEO of the company I purchased the TV from! He called and told me he’d be flying into town tomorrow and was wondering if we could have lunch! I was flabbergasted but told him I’d love to have lunch with him. He assured me it was his treat.
The next day we went to very nice restraint for lunch. I found out the CEO was a very personable guy and we had a great time together. In fact, our ‘lunch’ ended up being nearly two hours sitting at the table eating great food and getting to know each other. At the end of our time, the CEO reached into his coat pocket and pulled out an envelope.
“Here is your rebate check,” He smiled as he handed it to me. “I just wanted to thank you on behalf of our company for purchasing your TV from us. There are many other brands out there and I’m just pleased that you decided on us. Thank you.”
Can you believe that? I hope not. It wasn’t true. Reality is, we all know that even though a CEO of some company is pleased we buy their product, they can’t possibly deliver a thank you to each person who buys their product. There are just too many of us consumers and, frankly, we aren’t that important.
But we are to God! Look again at the end of the verse for today. When the time comes for us Christ-followers to enter the kingdom we will receive our reward for being faithful directly from God himself! He’s not going to delegate that privilege to some angel. We won’t be visited by some great Bible hero. Not even Jesus gets the honor. Nope. It’s our Heavenly Father that will personally give us our reward.
There are many times we do things that go unappreciated. Many times that people will misunderstand our motives, challenge the wisdom of our actions, or be critical of our methods. But someday all those things that have been hidden will be praised. By the angels? Perhaps. By those who’ve gone before us? Maybe. But most importantly by the CEO of the universe!
Don’t be discouraged. Don’t give up doing good. Someday your actions will be rewarded personally by your heavenly Father.
PRAYER: Father God. I’m in awe when I realize that I am the most important thing in your life. It amazes me to think that you will personally reward me for all the things that I do that go unnoticed. I praise you and worship you for your great love and mercy towards me. Empower me today with a new energy to serve you. Not for the reward, but as an act of worship. In Jesus name, Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 