In the context of needing to see results to admire faith - I think it’s more powerful when we don’t see results, but it can be hard to shift perspective to admire a future victory.
Sometimes when Christian women I know are sharing their faith stories, it seems like I hear something to the effect of - God is faithful because He ultimately gave me what I asked for. There might have been periods of grief and struggle but for some, they ended up receiving what they desired on earth and that’s their definition of faithfulness. I don’t begrudge them their blessings. But in the back of my mind I’m always questioning - but what if you didn’t get what you wanted? I want to know what their relationship with God would have been like if they didn’t get what they desired. Would they still consider Him faithful?
That's why both kinds of stories are so important to tell! We need both because both are true. Both are helpful. Both honor God. And we need both because we never know which kind we're living in the moment--which kind we'll need when it's all said and done.
I appreciated the time this morning. I liked the prompts JL. We do need to consider the "suffering" side of life as well as the victorious side of life. Yes, I have had the great fortune to witness the surrender of someone suffering, and offering that to the Lord. Several come to mind.
An aging family member, well into their 90's spent hours in daily prayer for the family at large. As we age, we are not able to do what we once could. In this case, the frailty of age became the beacon of strength for all in those daily prayers. My prayer was, God help me to do the same.
Joni Erikson, at sixteen, surrendered to a body she no longer possessed and she impacted the world through her brokenness, giving hope to more than we know.
It is scary to pray that prayer of Wesley's Covenant Prayer. I wonder, do we become free when we can?
Ashley-this is not the first time that I prayed this Wesley’s Covenant Prayer. Let me just say it is scary. Something changed in me. God was doing the changing and what happened…to people looking from the outside, maybe not fully having faith in the Lord, it looked like my life was destroyed. There were moments when it was devastatingly true. Yet there was this quiet voice (the Lord’s) saying I’m here. You prayed. I answered. You are mine.
Are you familiar with The Serenity prayer? Most people are. “God grant me the serenity…”. The thing about it is there is a second verse that most don’t know. Part of it goes like this, “…trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will; So that I may be REASONABLY happy in this life and SUPREMELY happy with HIM”. I was dumbfounded.
Thank you, Kimmie, for sharing your powerful story and testimony. I am in the camp that believes when we surrender all these things we truly become free. For that very reason you shared. God never leaves us and he holds us so close encouraging and giving us grace. It reminds me that when we go through the trials, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we come out on the fire and we do not smell like smoke.
Thank you for sharing your encouraging words. My heart is lifted and feels full
The prayer reminded me of Elisabeth Elliot, a women of great faith whose sermons speak of even more wonderful women who gave their lives to the service of God. School teachers, nuns, missionaries. Beautiful stories!
(Not to plug another persons content but her sermons are preserved in podcast form) If I could sum up her main point in every lesson, it is More of Christ and Less of me. I am just to take up my cross and follow thee. Easier said than done some days. But a truly authentic faith is displayed in our daily surrendering of self.
I think we can appreciate others' examples of faith in the midst of suffering, even when they or we haven't seen "results" yet. But I sure am glad for all the examples in which we can see "results." Years ago, someone gave our family a biography from the Christian Heroes of History series (published by YWAM). I read it aloud to our boys, and then we got another and another... I have now read dozens aloud to my youngest son and have been so encouraged by the amazing stories of faith of these missionaries, reformers, and martyrs.
All the stories! There's almost nothing that builds my faith more than hearing someone I trust (or someone I respect from history) tell me about their experience with God.
I saw a Christmas card that was really a collage of pictures of memories of a dear woman who had died unexpectedly. What caught my attention was the signature which said, “Because of Jesus we will see her again. “
We know she was faithful, but the real results are because of Christ.
Yes, I have wondered about that also. We should praise God even when we don’t get what we want because He is faithful. We are waiting or suffering for what He will do in the future.
I have had the privilege of working in the field of substance abuse recovery and have encountered many profound stories of surrendered lives as a result. Some of these people found their sobriety path through their discovery of, and commitment to, Jesus. Many had awful stories of abuse, abandonment, grief, etc., which motivated their substance use. They had no hope and didn’t feel loved or worthy, but then they connected with the saving grace of Jesus and things shifted. They began to humbly surrender recognizing that they couldn’t make it without Him. Now they feel a missional call to witness to others because they have stepped from darkness into light. Every time I hear one of these stories my own faith journey finds encouragement and renewal!!
More and more as I sit with Hebrews 11….I feel the results aren’t what they hoped for but along the way, whom they had hope in became greater in their eyes. This whole time prior to this slow gift of slow reading I focused on what having faith allowed them to but now the richness I see is what faith did in them by changing their gaze to the faithful one. Results have taken on a new meaning for me.
In the context of needing to see results to admire faith - I think it’s more powerful when we don’t see results, but it can be hard to shift perspective to admire a future victory.
Sometimes when Christian women I know are sharing their faith stories, it seems like I hear something to the effect of - God is faithful because He ultimately gave me what I asked for. There might have been periods of grief and struggle but for some, they ended up receiving what they desired on earth and that’s their definition of faithfulness. I don’t begrudge them their blessings. But in the back of my mind I’m always questioning - but what if you didn’t get what you wanted? I want to know what their relationship with God would have been like if they didn’t get what they desired. Would they still consider Him faithful?
That's why both kinds of stories are so important to tell! We need both because both are true. Both are helpful. Both honor God. And we need both because we never know which kind we're living in the moment--which kind we'll need when it's all said and done.
I appreciated the time this morning. I liked the prompts JL. We do need to consider the "suffering" side of life as well as the victorious side of life. Yes, I have had the great fortune to witness the surrender of someone suffering, and offering that to the Lord. Several come to mind.
An aging family member, well into their 90's spent hours in daily prayer for the family at large. As we age, we are not able to do what we once could. In this case, the frailty of age became the beacon of strength for all in those daily prayers. My prayer was, God help me to do the same.
Joni Erikson, at sixteen, surrendered to a body she no longer possessed and she impacted the world through her brokenness, giving hope to more than we know.
It is scary to pray that prayer of Wesley's Covenant Prayer. I wonder, do we become free when we can?
I've definitely felt a powerful, foundational shift in my life post praying that prayer.
Joni is one of my heroes.
Ashley-this is not the first time that I prayed this Wesley’s Covenant Prayer. Let me just say it is scary. Something changed in me. God was doing the changing and what happened…to people looking from the outside, maybe not fully having faith in the Lord, it looked like my life was destroyed. There were moments when it was devastatingly true. Yet there was this quiet voice (the Lord’s) saying I’m here. You prayed. I answered. You are mine.
Are you familiar with The Serenity prayer? Most people are. “God grant me the serenity…”. The thing about it is there is a second verse that most don’t know. Part of it goes like this, “…trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will; So that I may be REASONABLY happy in this life and SUPREMELY happy with HIM”. I was dumbfounded.
Thank you, Kimmie, for sharing your powerful story and testimony. I am in the camp that believes when we surrender all these things we truly become free. For that very reason you shared. God never leaves us and he holds us so close encouraging and giving us grace. It reminds me that when we go through the trials, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we come out on the fire and we do not smell like smoke.
Thank you for sharing your encouraging words. My heart is lifted and feels full
The prayer reminded me of Elisabeth Elliot, a women of great faith whose sermons speak of even more wonderful women who gave their lives to the service of God. School teachers, nuns, missionaries. Beautiful stories!
(Not to plug another persons content but her sermons are preserved in podcast form) If I could sum up her main point in every lesson, it is More of Christ and Less of me. I am just to take up my cross and follow thee. Easier said than done some days. But a truly authentic faith is displayed in our daily surrendering of self.
Please plug all the saints' content. :)
I think we can appreciate others' examples of faith in the midst of suffering, even when they or we haven't seen "results" yet. But I sure am glad for all the examples in which we can see "results." Years ago, someone gave our family a biography from the Christian Heroes of History series (published by YWAM). I read it aloud to our boys, and then we got another and another... I have now read dozens aloud to my youngest son and have been so encouraged by the amazing stories of faith of these missionaries, reformers, and martyrs.
All the stories! There's almost nothing that builds my faith more than hearing someone I trust (or someone I respect from history) tell me about their experience with God.
I love how you are sowing seeds of faith in your boys! Those seeds will bring life! They certainly do for me. Great job Mom!
I saw a Christmas card that was really a collage of pictures of memories of a dear woman who had died unexpectedly. What caught my attention was the signature which said, “Because of Jesus we will see her again. “
We know she was faithful, but the real results are because of Christ.
Lovely.
Yes, I have wondered about that also. We should praise God even when we don’t get what we want because He is faithful. We are waiting or suffering for what He will do in the future.
I have had the privilege of working in the field of substance abuse recovery and have encountered many profound stories of surrendered lives as a result. Some of these people found their sobriety path through their discovery of, and commitment to, Jesus. Many had awful stories of abuse, abandonment, grief, etc., which motivated their substance use. They had no hope and didn’t feel loved or worthy, but then they connected with the saving grace of Jesus and things shifted. They began to humbly surrender recognizing that they couldn’t make it without Him. Now they feel a missional call to witness to others because they have stepped from darkness into light. Every time I hear one of these stories my own faith journey finds encouragement and renewal!!
More and more as I sit with Hebrews 11….I feel the results aren’t what they hoped for but along the way, whom they had hope in became greater in their eyes. This whole time prior to this slow gift of slow reading I focused on what having faith allowed them to but now the richness I see is what faith did in them by changing their gaze to the faithful one. Results have taken on a new meaning for me.
This reminds me of Daniel 3. Even if they weren’t saved from the fire, God is still good.