I sometimes think we’ve turned the life of faith into some kind of religious X Games. When we think of people of great faith, we think of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace; or Corrie ten Boom, who sheltered Jews and was ultimately imprisoned in the concentration camps during World War II; or maybe we even think of someone we’re acquainted with who has made a radical life change in order to enter a mission field or work in inner-city ministry.
In my latest book entitled, What Keeps You Up At Night, I wrote…
“I think we need to remember that God can also use acts of everyday courage and day-to-day faith. He honors the person who decides to love someone who others find unlovable. He exalts the individual who commits to being honest, no matter the personal consequences. He loves those who trust Him with their finances, even when things are tight and the future is unclear. He takes joy in the single mom who goes to one more job interview, even though she’s already heard “no” over and over again, because she is determined to improve her situation in life. These, too, are acts of faith that delight the heart of our Creator.”
“I think we need to remember that God can also use acts of everyday courage and day-to-day faith. He honors the person who decides to love someone who others find unlovable. He exalts the individual who commits to being honest, no matter the personal consequences. He loves those who trust Him with their finances, even when things are tight and the future is unclear. He takes joy in the single mom who goes to one more job interview, even though she’s already heard “no” over and over again, because she is determined to improve her situation in life. These, too, are acts of faith that delight the heart of our Creator.”
“But,”
someone may ask, “How do you know when you’re supposed to keep hanging
on and when you’re supposed to give up and move on to something else?”
That’s
a legitimate question, and I can’t give an absolute, one-size-fits-all
answer. I will suggest, though, that based on my observation, most of us
give up too easily and too early. So, my bias would be on the side of
persevering, rather than throwing in the towel.
My
other comment is that, as a pastor and advisor, it is not usually my
job to help you figure out your limits or to define your reality.
Instead, I believe it is more often my task to help you see all the possibilities God is placing before you.
One of those possibilities is considering all that God may be doing in you and through you, even in the midst of your struggle and uncertainty.
Yes, you are facing uncertain times, but is it possible that God is
using your steadfastness amid difficulty to inspire someone else’s
flagging faith? Yes, you have heard “no” over and over again, but is it
possible God is preparing you for a new opportunity you would never have
considered if you had already gotten your “yes”?
I’ll
admit it’s hard to see all the possibilities when you’re worried about
being able to hang on until tomorrow. It takes a very special type of
heart to keep believing during the hard times. But it helps to remember
that God specializes in the unexpected. He is into the unpredictable, the unlooked-for. He is the original author of the surprise ending.
-Pete
-Pete
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