From Tricia's blog: "I Peter 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."
The verses that you quoted hit me hard. As we talked about yesterday things are often difficult. We have to own that and lament it. But we also have to live a life that realizes that there is something even more REAL than the sufferings (which are relative. We are all suffering.) This thing that is more REAL is the life that we are able to live with (and through) Christ, what Peter in these verses calls faith. We have been talking about this in my Bible study. Do we really believe that the life with Christ is better than anything that this world could offer us? Is the life with Christ better than the love that I have for my family? Is the relationship with Christ that comes often through refinement and suffering better than success, accolades, a beautiful baby in my arms, the soft kiss of my wife? I don't like to think about these things very often. I don't like to think that it is an either/or case. I don't think it is. I think that sometimes, often it is both. This obviously reveals my theology as a pessimistic and often dark one. I trust God to make me good (more like His son.) I think that I am scared that He'll do just that. I often hold too tightly to the good gifts that He has given me.
Romans 8:18-21
18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that[i] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
1 John 2:15-17
15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
2 comments:
Andy, I too am learning so much about this right now. Do I believe God?...not, do I believe in God, but do I presently, actively believe him? Do I believe that he is who he says he is? Do I believe that he can do what he says he can do? Do I believe that I am who he says I am? I think the words belief and faith are interchangable in these questions.
Hebrews 11:6 Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
I struggle with faith, but I am praying for a heart and a mind that dilegently and continually seeks after God, because what is the point if we don't believe him. I want to reach a place where I value my faith simply because it pleases God and a place where I am not afraid to ask for his intervention, knowing that he is able, but trusting that he is good if he doesn't act.
I am thankful that God demonstrates his sufficiency during the "process". (Hoping this makes sense as it does in my head and is not just a bunch of Christianese strung together)
Love you.
I can sure relate to both Tricia and Andy's thoughts. I have struggled for a long time, and still do, with the idea of believing all that God says He is. I find it easy to believe all of those things when my life is "going well" and much more difficult when it's not. One thing I have learned and know for sure is that He's loving me and caring for me even when it's done in ways that are different from the way I would have done it.
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