Friday, December 30, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Entrusted
I don’t know about you, but I count it an honor to be a person who can be trusted. One who people know they are safe with, they can count on, who won’t back out on them when times get hard, one who is covenant minded instead of contract focused. I also want to be known as a person of faith, one who encourages others to walk faithfully by the way I live my life.
In praying this morning, I asked God to help me be that person. Help me walk in faith. Help others see Him in how I react to adversity. And then, what I probably already knew somewhere hidden in my heart was facing me head on. In order to be that person, I must accept that the only way to do that is to go through trials faithfully. Praying to be a person who models faith was intrinsically telling the Lord that I accepted the trials I would have to face in order to model that faith He gives us.
Sometimes in prayer, God reveals the necessity to sit back and ponder if I truly believe what I am praying. Do I truly accept those trials? Do I truly want to model faith, or is there something else I could pick? Let’s see…patience? Well. We all know how that works. Same principle. In order to model and live the characteristic we desire, we must face trials and temptations to exhibit something other than the desired result.
What if we shift our focus? What if we realize what is going on, and we come to the understanding that we have been ENTRUSTED with the trials of life. God has hand-picked us to shine His light in a certain situation, He has counted us TRUSTWORTHY to walk through this trial and complete the test in full faith. Faith not in the promise of a positive outcome, or our protection, or our promotion, but simply faith in the One who is the object of that faith and the supplier of all faith. Faith in Christ alone. We have not been blindsided with the loss of a job, we have been entrusted to walk that road in faith. We have not been cursed with the trials of life; we have been entrusted to live a life that brings Him honor and glory through them.
Entrusted…by God. That puts a whole new light on it. It is absolutely the person I want to be. I want to be entrusted in trials and tests, because I also know I will be enabled to walk through those situations with God getting the glory for however they turn out. You see, if we walk through the trial in faith, we win. The situation may or may not turn out as we had hoped, but if no matter the outcome we remain in faith, the victory and the glory are already gained, and they both point others to Christ. Not to mention the black eye it gives Satan. I am not advocating asking for trials, or being a martyr in life. I am crying out to Him for that renewed focus on those struggles when they find me in their path.
Philippians 1:29 states, “For you have been granted [the privilege] for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in [adhere to, rely on, and trust in] Him, but also to suffer in His behalf.” We don’t hear it that way very often do we? But it is true. It is a privilege to be entrusted by God for the glory of Christ, even and especially in the trials, suffering and persecution.
I thought on all this for a while during my prayer, and came to a conclusion. I would not dodge one trial and risk the privilege of my life bringing glory to Him. How about you?
2Timothy 1:8-12 Paul writes to Timothy, and to us, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.”
In praying this morning, I asked God to help me be that person. Help me walk in faith. Help others see Him in how I react to adversity. And then, what I probably already knew somewhere hidden in my heart was facing me head on. In order to be that person, I must accept that the only way to do that is to go through trials faithfully. Praying to be a person who models faith was intrinsically telling the Lord that I accepted the trials I would have to face in order to model that faith He gives us.
Sometimes in prayer, God reveals the necessity to sit back and ponder if I truly believe what I am praying. Do I truly accept those trials? Do I truly want to model faith, or is there something else I could pick? Let’s see…patience? Well. We all know how that works. Same principle. In order to model and live the characteristic we desire, we must face trials and temptations to exhibit something other than the desired result.
What if we shift our focus? What if we realize what is going on, and we come to the understanding that we have been ENTRUSTED with the trials of life. God has hand-picked us to shine His light in a certain situation, He has counted us TRUSTWORTHY to walk through this trial and complete the test in full faith. Faith not in the promise of a positive outcome, or our protection, or our promotion, but simply faith in the One who is the object of that faith and the supplier of all faith. Faith in Christ alone. We have not been blindsided with the loss of a job, we have been entrusted to walk that road in faith. We have not been cursed with the trials of life; we have been entrusted to live a life that brings Him honor and glory through them.
Entrusted…by God. That puts a whole new light on it. It is absolutely the person I want to be. I want to be entrusted in trials and tests, because I also know I will be enabled to walk through those situations with God getting the glory for however they turn out. You see, if we walk through the trial in faith, we win. The situation may or may not turn out as we had hoped, but if no matter the outcome we remain in faith, the victory and the glory are already gained, and they both point others to Christ. Not to mention the black eye it gives Satan. I am not advocating asking for trials, or being a martyr in life. I am crying out to Him for that renewed focus on those struggles when they find me in their path.
Philippians 1:29 states, “For you have been granted [the privilege] for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in [adhere to, rely on, and trust in] Him, but also to suffer in His behalf.” We don’t hear it that way very often do we? But it is true. It is a privilege to be entrusted by God for the glory of Christ, even and especially in the trials, suffering and persecution.
I thought on all this for a while during my prayer, and came to a conclusion. I would not dodge one trial and risk the privilege of my life bringing glory to Him. How about you?
2Timothy 1:8-12 Paul writes to Timothy, and to us, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.”
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