Where’s your faith? Mine is trying to play hide-and-seek.
Faith is an incredibly powerful force that can restore hope in the most challenging of times. The Bible teaches us that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). When we put our faith in God and trust in His plan, we can find the strength to persevere and overcome even the most difficult of situations.
There’s your clinical assessment of faith. Now. How can having faith be worked out in real-life terms?
I’ll admit that I woke up this morning and took a look at one of my aggregate news sites before getting in any Jesus time. That little exercise might have just skewed my whole day. Instead of basking in the love of Jesus, I saw – as if I didn’t know – just how awful this temporal world is.
I thought that after we emerged from the death shroud of COVID, things would be better. Silly me. It’s still bad out there.
Faith, as Hebrews stated, is all about things we don’t see – the “not yet.” That encourages me, because I’m not too enthralled with the “right now.”
Faith involves trusting in God’s plan, and that requires that we surrender our own will and desires to Him. It means acknowledging that we may not always understand why things happen, but we trust that God has a purpose and a plan that is greater than our own.
God has a universal plan for all of creation. That’s good, but what lights my fire today is knowing that He has an individual, customized plan just for me.
But that “surrender” thing. That’s what trips me up. It’s because I can look at the world, internalize what I see, and end up a gibbering wreck. To what end?
Compound that with a loss of faith in other people. Look. I know folks will let you down and disappoint you. That reality doesn’t take the edge off the hurt, though. There are people I love, respect, and who walk with Jesus. Yet, in the last two or three years, their words and actions would lead me to believe that they’ve looked at their circumstances, evaluated the state of the world, and then factored God totally out of the essence of their lives. They speak as though things are hopeless, that people are beyond redemption, and then comfort themselves by lashing out at others.
I don’t unfriend those people, but sometimes I want to avoid them. I’m not one to hang out frequently with folks who bleed my spirit dry. Just being honest, here.
Back to surrender: It occurs to me that what I’m speaking of above has a lot to do with me looking at temporal things and people, and then not letting God have all of me. I hold on to what I can see, which is turning out to be a moronic strategy. It’s not working for me. My faith has to be in what I can’t see.
This level of surrender and trust can be difficult, especially when we are faced with challenges that seem insurmountable. But it is precisely in these moments that our faith can be the most powerful.
I’m finding some grace from God by revisiting some familiar scriptures.
God can use even the difficult things in our lives for His glory and our ultimate good. For example, in the story of Joseph in Genesis, Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers and spent years in prison, but God used those difficult circumstances to elevate Joseph to a position of power in Egypt and ultimately save his family from famine.
When we trust in God’s plan, we can find hope even in the darkest of situations. In the book of Job, Job faced unimaginable loss and suffering, but even in the midst of his pain, he declared, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15). Job’s faith in God did not prevent him from experiencing pain, but it did give him the strength to persevere and ultimately be restored.
Trusting in God’s plan also requires patience. We may not always see immediate results or understand why certain things are happening, but we can trust that God is working behind the scenes. Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”
One of the most powerful examples of faith in action is found in the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the book of Daniel. These three men refused to bow down to a golden statue and were thrown into a fiery furnace as a result. But even in the midst of the flames, they declared, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not (emphasis mine), be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18). Their faith in God’s ability to save them did not waiver, but even if He did not, they still trusted in His plan.
Let me give you eight bullets, some nuggets you can take away. These are simple and self-evident, but maybe basics are what we need:
- Pray: Start by talking to God and sharing your feelings and concerns with Him. Ask Him for guidance and strength to trust in His plan, even when it’s difficult.
- Study the Bible: Spend time reading and meditating on God’s word. Look for scriptures that speak to your situation and remind you of God’s faithfulness and promises.
- Surrender: Surrender your will and desires to God. Acknowledge that His plan may be different from yours, but trust that His plan is perfect and good.
- Practice Patience: Recognize that God’s timing may not be the same as yours. Practice patience and trust that He is working behind the scenes, even when you don’t see immediate results.
- Look for the good: Look for the good in every situation, even when it’s difficult. Ask God to show you His purpose and plan, even in the midst of pain and suffering.
- Connect with others: Connect with others who share your faith and can offer encouragement and support. Share your journey and ask for prayers.
- Keep a gratitude journal: Write down things you are thankful for each day, no matter how small. Focusing on the positive can help shift your perspective and restore your hope.
- Serve others: Look for opportunities to serve others and make a positive impact in their lives. Serving others can help you shift your focus from your own problems and remind you of the power of God’s love.
Trusting in God’s plan is a journey and may not happen overnight. But with consistent effort and practice, you can learn to trust in God’s plan and restore your hope in even the most difficult of situations.
Talk later.