Faithfulness

I certainly can’t speak for everyone, but it’s been my experience there is an inverse relationship to “good times” and “faithfulness”. For me, when good times arrive…my faith dwindles. When tough times come…my faith becomes exercised and strengthened.

When things go well in my life I generally start out feeling very humbled and thanking God for His blessings on me. Then….time passes a bit, and life is feeling pretty good. I begin to feel like I must be on track; you know…doing things right. For shame, for shame, that I go down that path because inevitably I get cocky; start talking to God less. Or worse, begin to talk to Him like “I’ve” succeeded somehow to make life better by making the right choices.

Let me tell you, my friends…that’s a very dangerous place to be. Spiritually dangerous. When all is going well you don’t have to rely on your faith near as much because it simply doesn’t need to be exercised.

When things are tough, though, faith is kind of a built-in response and forces you to dig deep into your soul and confront what you’re made of. Do you think the Lord knows this about our human nature?...absolutely. He’s encountered it from the greatest men and women in Biblical history through today and will continue to do so until we’re all renewed creatures.

I’m like anyone else, I suppose, (although my wife may make an argument there…) in that I don’t relish the thought of things going sour in life. So…are all tough circumstances designed specifically to test us and our faith? Probably not. Life happens because God has designed a free will humanity. I do know, however, that God uses every choice, every decision, every circumstance, every consequence to be used as an opportunity to make us grow and mature as children of God and strengthen our relationship with Him.

Were it not for tough times and calamities I would most certainly not have the faith I own today. There are literally hundreds of accounts in the Bible where we can read, re-read, and study to see how life’s problems have shaped and bettered the person having gone through it. We must join ourselves to these truths when we encounter similar troubles. Although we don’t look forward to difficulties in life, we can be assured that God’s grace and guidance will transcend even the bleakest of circumstances and we will be better and stronger in the end.

Don’t get me wrong…when life is good, don’t minimize it. Enjoy it to the fullest. Just don’t let it alter your relationship with God. Complacency or false feelings of “success” can be a foothold the devil would love to latch on to.

When good times come…praise God. When bad times roll around…praise God as well. Know that you are being held by a loving and personal Savior who will let the things of life draw you ever closer to Him.

Blessings!

Greg Morton
February © 2011

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