Most days I don't need a reminder to be actively working on creating a deeper sense of faith and purpose. As Ann pointed out in a reply to my first post, I am a new Christian (meaning I haven't been one for but three and a half months). I still have a sense of wonderment, and an intensity for pursuing and developing my faith. All too often in life, we start something new and get really excited. How many of us have started a new hobby, only to find that a month or two later all of the supplies are slowly collecting dust! Have you ever set a New Year's resolution to lose weight, and are stuck with a year long gym membership that you've used twice? (I know I have!) There are numerous examples that we could apply to each area of our life. But what makes a pursuit of faith, particularly a deeper understanding of God and his son Jesus, different? For me, it is because unlike a hobby, or a diet, or the newest "craze," my faith in God defines who I am.
How many of us know someone who has been married for 30, 40, 50 years or more? How do they make it work? What has kept them together for all of those years? I feel it really boils down to one thing...a desire to understand their partner (and maybe, for the guys, saying "yes dear" to everything ;). This doesn't mean a couple will never have a struggle, or difficult times, but it does mean that they are open to working through these problems. God, is open to working with us on our struggles. We are constantly tested, day in and day out, but as Jeremiah 1:5-8 states:
5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
6 "Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child."
7 But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.
God is telling us that no matter what challenges we face, He will always be there to rescue us. We will always succeed, as long as we have our faith. Shortly after I became a Christian my father had a massive heart-attack, and my aunt was hospitalized for an ongoing condition. It would have been easy for me to give up my faith, and proclaim, "Why me?" Instead, I chose to dive deeper into my relationship with God, and things have only grown stronger. You too have that choice available to you. Are you going to find the Godliness in things? Or are you going to choose to believe that God has abandoned you, or doesn't favor you any longer.
I hope that you and I continue to choose to grow deeper in our faith and understanding every day, and not let ourselves become one of those mentioned in Hebrews 5:11-14 "11We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 12In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."
A close friend of mine says it best: "Being a Christian is one of the hardest callings in life." And I would like to add to that, that it is also the most rewarding! Are you going to see yourself as a "child" or "infant" in the eyes of God? Or are you going to choose something greater? I know what my choice is!
~God Bless
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