The comments and emails from the last post a great and thought provoking. In keeping with the “how to” or “want to” theme is a quote from an now departed youth worker."I am beginning to understand that faith is not the way around pain, it is the way through pain. Faith doesn't get rid of the opposition it invites it over for dinner. Faith doesn't give you the winning point at the last second, it ties the games and sends you into overtime. Faith does't give you the solution, it forces you to find it."
Mike Yaconelli
Thoughts?
5 comments:
This quote validates my experience but also makes me sad...
I am certainly the first one to scoff at quick fixes, easy answers, and the latest self help trend. Yet in the deepest part of my soul I want life to be better. If I were to be really honest better and easier are somewhat synonymous in my frame of reference.
I have been so blessed by God lately with a new home, better relationship with my family, a deepening relationship with my friends not to mention a whole new relationship with God. I guess I am always wondering when the other shoe is going to drop. This quote reminded me of that.
God's Got My Back
Only a short time ago, I realized that Christ wouldn't make all of the bad and painful parts of my life go away, and I was disappointed. No magical memory wash had occurred, when I started to open the door that He had for so long, been knocking on. I faced the cold fact that I will have to live with all of my garbage for the rest of my life.
The good news (there is always some if you try hard enough) is that despite having to live with all that I have gone through (or shall I take some personal responsibility and say, all that I have put myself through), it's okay! Want to know why? It's because now I know that I'm not alone, nor have I been in my whole, lonely life! For He is with me and no matter what stuff I do encounter, I have the best bouncer that anyone could hope for (...yes, I did just refer to Jesus Christ, God’s son, as my very own personal bouncer. I mean, if angels are warriors, then Christ is the King of warriors, and if there was ever anyone qualified to “have my back”, then He’s the one).
If I had not come to know Christ as my saviour; to redeem, love, and truly forgive me, then I would only know pain. Now with Him, I say "bring it on", as I know that I really can go through anything. Will it feel nice or not be difficult? No way! If we know who we're fighting for, and who’s fighting with us, then any pain is tolerable (says the person in a warm home, sitting in pajama’s).
Pain is still pain no matter who suffers in it - Christian or not - but we as Christian's are given something else, grace. We have a new pain tolerance (at least mentally) that was given to us through the cross, and even though I know I’m not one for any kind of suffering (you should see me sick), my heart is rooted in the blood that was spilled and I know for certain that I will be okay no matter what the evil of this world may present to me.
Now, when I say things like that, people warn “you’re asking for trouble” or something along those lines. Seriously, there is no such thing as a jinx or luck, only God. I am a weak and broken person, and I pray that I never forget it. For if I do, I’ll start to live out of my “self” and in doing so will “shelf God” and things will start to go downhill; they always do when we try to live life ourselves.
If we go through our stuff in total faith, yes, we still have to go through the stuff, we just won't go it alone. The best thing of all, is that at the end of our last day on earth, as we take our last breath, we know that our reward will be His heavenly kingdom waiting for us. So if I have to suffer through this life to get the next, then in my weakness, I will stand tall, walk and teeter on this narrow path and allow Christ to be there with me the whole way. What’s bad about that?
CriticalDreams - love the bouncer analogy! It actually works for me!
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