Wayne Jacobsen (http://www.lifestream.org) was in town a couple of weekends ago, and I joined several folks to hang out with him. It was a wonderful time to be reminded of just how simple this Jesus journey can be (and how “religious” I still can be at times!). I smiled when someone new to the journey said something like, “It just hard to believe that it can be that simple!” in response to Wayne’s repeated emphasis upon living loved, listening to Father and just being family. I didn’t say it at the time, but I thought, “Yes, it not only can be that simple, it has to be!” Consider the following passage of Scripture.
At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure." (Luke 10:21 NIV)
Jesus here is rejoicing because His Father had made the things of the Kingdom simple! Wow. By its
very nature, religion sets up obstacles, makes things complicated and tends to exclude, but Jesus came to set us free from religion as well as from sin. He also came to make the Way to the Father so simple that anyone could make the journey. Indeed, it requires the simplicity of a child even to enter the journey, and as I now realize, it requires continuing childlike simplicity to stay on the journey! It's gets even simpler as we go along, not more complicated!
So if it is "complicated," I am already suspicious! And if it in some way excludes the child, the simple person, I am more than suspicious! I am already convinced that it's not God if it is exclusive!
Now you probably realize that "simple" does not necessarily mean "easy" in the sense of choices of the heart! Living in surrendered, childlike trust is highly counter-intuitive, especially for those of us who have learned to try to be "sophisticated" and competent! But it is possible for every human being on the planet to enter this journey--that's why Jesus came, right? To make the Way available to all? Hmmmm.
That's why my philosophy of "leadership" requires me to live simply. I believe that I must always live and communicate a life that causes anyone, even a child, to say, “I can do that!” This is counter to our culture and even most church culture, where "leaders" are supposed to competent and capable and... you get the picture! (I put "leaders" in quotes because the NT is not about leadership but about servanthood, but that's a topic for a later time).
Now I haven't by any means "arrived" at a place where I am living this out all the time. As recently as last April I wrote the following in my journal.
"Pai, my friend writes something about my needing to let go of something while I am in the waterfall of your love. I am thinking that that refers to my need to understand, the illusion of control as opposed to the childlike trust you have called us to. And I also sense that this highly counter-intuitive walk, with all its simplicity, is so important because it is something that you want me to teach everyone who has ears to hear and that it is simple for the very reason that you have always intended it to be available to all people."
Yes, I am still learning, but it is that simple! Because it is that important, it is that simple!
Learning to be childlike,
Tom, one of Abba's children
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Childlike Wonder
She sat with her mommy on the front row in the lecture hall where I was speaking on intimacy with Jesus, a precious little seven year old girl who had known much sadness and trauma. Her mommy had returned to the Lord with great zeal a while back, but not before this little child had experienced many father wounds and other types of pain. Yet there she sat, peacefully and quietly coloring while I spoke. I could hear her softly whispering, perhaps at times singing to her mommy (it was so cute!).
Then right in the middle of my sharing, I felt strongly led to share a quote from the brilliant German theologian, Karl Barth. I told the story of how one time when someone had asked him how he would summarize all of his great theological work he had replied, "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so." As I finished sharing this story, the little girl's face suddenly lit up with wonder and joy, so much so that I asked her mommy what was going on. To the amazement of the entire class, her mommy said that at the same moment that I quoted Karl Barth her little girl was singing "Jesus loves me"!
As we heard this, all of us became deeply aware that God was incredibly present, and we were drawn into a wonderful moment of basking in God's Father love. We may have even sung the song--I can't remember for sure, but I remember the weight of God's presence filling the room with His goodness.
Later, as I reflected on that remarkable moment, I told God how grateful I was for confirming what I was teaching about His love. Thereafter followed one of those gentle but life-changing corrections from Papa! He said simply, "I didn't do that for you, Tom, nor for the class. I did it for the little girl!" And then I understood...and I wept and I worshiped...
Do you understand?
Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there. (Matthew 19:13-15)
He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:2-4)
Tom, one of Abba's little children
Then right in the middle of my sharing, I felt strongly led to share a quote from the brilliant German theologian, Karl Barth. I told the story of how one time when someone had asked him how he would summarize all of his great theological work he had replied, "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so." As I finished sharing this story, the little girl's face suddenly lit up with wonder and joy, so much so that I asked her mommy what was going on. To the amazement of the entire class, her mommy said that at the same moment that I quoted Karl Barth her little girl was singing "Jesus loves me"!
As we heard this, all of us became deeply aware that God was incredibly present, and we were drawn into a wonderful moment of basking in God's Father love. We may have even sung the song--I can't remember for sure, but I remember the weight of God's presence filling the room with His goodness.
Later, as I reflected on that remarkable moment, I told God how grateful I was for confirming what I was teaching about His love. Thereafter followed one of those gentle but life-changing corrections from Papa! He said simply, "I didn't do that for you, Tom, nor for the class. I did it for the little girl!" And then I understood...and I wept and I worshiped...
Do you understand?
Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there. (Matthew 19:13-15)
He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:2-4)
Tom, one of Abba's little children
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Deeper Change Than We Can Imagine!
Father has had me re-reading Emotionally Healthy Spirituality and Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice of late and has added a book on parenting that I recommend highly, Loving Our Kids on Purpose by Danny Silk. All of these books in one way or another deal with issues of the heart, so it was no surprise to me this morning that God went after mine again as I was praying for some of those I love.
Now that I know (and remember most of the time) that God loves me, likes me, treasures me and is never disappointed in me, I find myself more willing to yield to His gentle but persistent probing! So as I was attempting to pray for one close to me, I stopped when He probed my motives as I was praying. I was shocked to see how mixed my motives were as I prayed! (I know this is never true for you, of course!). Father showed me that I was praying partially out of true love for this person, but I was also equally praying for relief from the anxiety I was feeling. Indeed, if I looked carefully (which He helped me to do!) I found that I was actually praying not from a place of full identification of the other person's needs and concerns but more from my own need to have my worries about this person relieved!
Now believe it or not I was encouraged by this revelation. First because there was a time that I wouldn't have noticed such a subtle mixture of motives even if God had shouted it to me! Second, I was encouraged because I now know that when God reveals, God heals! And sure enough, as I stopped and looked within and allowed Holy Spirit to lead me, I was able to find a place of compassion and petition that was much more oriented towards the one for whom I was praying. Furthermore, I am, of course, going to be more aware of this in the future! God is so very, very good! Finally, I was encouraged because I know that in revealing this to me, God is answering my frequent prayer to teach me to pray in a way that leads to clear and wonderful answers.
Ah, dear ones! God is always after the heart! And much of what "church" in all of its forms seems to focus on is behavior, activity, etc. I wrote my personal story above to give yet one more example as to what this might look like. Discipleship is all about heart and far more about getting heaven into us than getting us into heaven. Why is it so important for us to get this? Consider the following thoughts about this from Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice, chapter 57, that I read this morning (not surprisingly, before I started my prayer time!).
A fundamental mistake of the conservative side of the Western Church is that its basic goal is to get people into heaven rather than to get heaven into people. This creates groups of people who may be ready to die but clearly are not ready to live. They rarely can get along with one another, much less with those "outside." Often their most intimate relations are tangles of reciprocal harm, coldness and resentment -- righteous meanness. They have become "Christian" without being Christlike.
The way to get as many people into heaven as you can is to get heaven into as many people as you can -- that is, to follow the path of genuine spiritual transformation or full-throttle discipleship to Jesus Christ. When we are counting results, we need to remember the many people (surrounded by churches) who will not be in heaven because they have never, to their knowledge, seen the reality of Christ in a living human being. These lives of the "converted" testify against the reality of "the life that is life indeed" (1 Timothy 6:19, paraphrased).
Ouch! Dallas Willard nails it one more time. But again, please read this from the perspective of God's love for you as well as His never-ending commitment to capture your heart with His grace and power!
Tom, one of Abba's little boys
Now that I know (and remember most of the time) that God loves me, likes me, treasures me and is never disappointed in me, I find myself more willing to yield to His gentle but persistent probing! So as I was attempting to pray for one close to me, I stopped when He probed my motives as I was praying. I was shocked to see how mixed my motives were as I prayed! (I know this is never true for you, of course!). Father showed me that I was praying partially out of true love for this person, but I was also equally praying for relief from the anxiety I was feeling. Indeed, if I looked carefully (which He helped me to do!) I found that I was actually praying not from a place of full identification of the other person's needs and concerns but more from my own need to have my worries about this person relieved!
Now believe it or not I was encouraged by this revelation. First because there was a time that I wouldn't have noticed such a subtle mixture of motives even if God had shouted it to me! Second, I was encouraged because I now know that when God reveals, God heals! And sure enough, as I stopped and looked within and allowed Holy Spirit to lead me, I was able to find a place of compassion and petition that was much more oriented towards the one for whom I was praying. Furthermore, I am, of course, going to be more aware of this in the future! God is so very, very good! Finally, I was encouraged because I know that in revealing this to me, God is answering my frequent prayer to teach me to pray in a way that leads to clear and wonderful answers.
Ah, dear ones! God is always after the heart! And much of what "church" in all of its forms seems to focus on is behavior, activity, etc. I wrote my personal story above to give yet one more example as to what this might look like. Discipleship is all about heart and far more about getting heaven into us than getting us into heaven. Why is it so important for us to get this? Consider the following thoughts about this from Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice, chapter 57, that I read this morning (not surprisingly, before I started my prayer time!).
A fundamental mistake of the conservative side of the Western Church is that its basic goal is to get people into heaven rather than to get heaven into people. This creates groups of people who may be ready to die but clearly are not ready to live. They rarely can get along with one another, much less with those "outside." Often their most intimate relations are tangles of reciprocal harm, coldness and resentment -- righteous meanness. They have become "Christian" without being Christlike.
The way to get as many people into heaven as you can is to get heaven into as many people as you can -- that is, to follow the path of genuine spiritual transformation or full-throttle discipleship to Jesus Christ. When we are counting results, we need to remember the many people (surrounded by churches) who will not be in heaven because they have never, to their knowledge, seen the reality of Christ in a living human being. These lives of the "converted" testify against the reality of "the life that is life indeed" (1 Timothy 6:19, paraphrased).
Ouch! Dallas Willard nails it one more time. But again, please read this from the perspective of God's love for you as well as His never-ending commitment to capture your heart with His grace and power!
Tom, one of Abba's little boys
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Praying As Jesus Prays
I have been reviewing lately some of one of my favorite mentor's words on prayer. Andrew Murray's book, With Christ In the School of Prayer remains one of the best I have ever encountered. I have read it over and over again, and I think I am actually beginning to catch the gist of what this wise lover of God was saying!
Perhaps two of the most important things that Andrew Murray says about prayer are his convictions that a) prayer must begin with an awareness of God as the loving Father and, b) prayer is essentially joining with Jesus in His continual intercession before the Father.
We can pray as Jesus prays only as we "get" that first point. Consider the following quotes from our mentor (and please forgive the dated language!). "The first thing in closet-prayer is to meet the Father. The light that shines in the closet must be the light of the Father's countenance. The atmosphere in which we breathe and pray is God's Father-love, God's infinite Fatherliness." (chapter 3). "The knowledge of God's Father-love is the first and simplest, but also the last and highest lesson in the school of prayer." (chapter 4).
So what does this look like, at least in my life? Well, in the past I would find myself praying without a conscious awareness of God's presence and Father-love, and my prayers sometimes sounded more like begging and whining than confident asking! And even when that wasn't the case, praying with confident trust and expectancy was hard to come by, especially when the needs before me were large and imposing. But now, as I am learning to allow Holy Spirit to lead me into Father's presence, I find that prayer rises from my heart as gentle listening, expectant asking and peaceful petitioning. The difference is remarkable: faith becomes as natural as breathing in the presence of the One who is love. Now the two pictures of prayer God gave me a while ago make wonderful sense.
I may have shared these before. If so, please forgive me. But these pictures are expressions of praying as Jesus prayed with the deep awareness of Father's love and manifest presence. The first picture God gave me was of a small round table, with Him on one side and me on the other, close enough so that we could clasp hands if we desired. Between us I place the concerns of others for whom I am praying and we discuss them as I look into Father's eyes--wow! In the second picture, I am standing in the wonderful, warm and powerful River of God's kindness and life and power. As I stand there I direct the flow of a little piece of the River towards the one for whom I am praying. Again, wow!
And yes, it does take time, sometimes more of it than at other times, for the awareness of God's presence to come (stillness is essential and not always immediately accessible). But I am finding that when I practice what our mentor, Andrew Murray, teaches us, then prayer becomes the peaceful but powerful instrument of God's war on the enemy and God's rich blessing of people that scripture describes.
Learning to pray...
Tom, one Abba's children
Perhaps two of the most important things that Andrew Murray says about prayer are his convictions that a) prayer must begin with an awareness of God as the loving Father and, b) prayer is essentially joining with Jesus in His continual intercession before the Father.
We can pray as Jesus prays only as we "get" that first point. Consider the following quotes from our mentor (and please forgive the dated language!). "The first thing in closet-prayer is to meet the Father. The light that shines in the closet must be the light of the Father's countenance. The atmosphere in which we breathe and pray is God's Father-love, God's infinite Fatherliness." (chapter 3). "The knowledge of God's Father-love is the first and simplest, but also the last and highest lesson in the school of prayer." (chapter 4).
So what does this look like, at least in my life? Well, in the past I would find myself praying without a conscious awareness of God's presence and Father-love, and my prayers sometimes sounded more like begging and whining than confident asking! And even when that wasn't the case, praying with confident trust and expectancy was hard to come by, especially when the needs before me were large and imposing. But now, as I am learning to allow Holy Spirit to lead me into Father's presence, I find that prayer rises from my heart as gentle listening, expectant asking and peaceful petitioning. The difference is remarkable: faith becomes as natural as breathing in the presence of the One who is love. Now the two pictures of prayer God gave me a while ago make wonderful sense.
I may have shared these before. If so, please forgive me. But these pictures are expressions of praying as Jesus prayed with the deep awareness of Father's love and manifest presence. The first picture God gave me was of a small round table, with Him on one side and me on the other, close enough so that we could clasp hands if we desired. Between us I place the concerns of others for whom I am praying and we discuss them as I look into Father's eyes--wow! In the second picture, I am standing in the wonderful, warm and powerful River of God's kindness and life and power. As I stand there I direct the flow of a little piece of the River towards the one for whom I am praying. Again, wow!
And yes, it does take time, sometimes more of it than at other times, for the awareness of God's presence to come (stillness is essential and not always immediately accessible). But I am finding that when I practice what our mentor, Andrew Murray, teaches us, then prayer becomes the peaceful but powerful instrument of God's war on the enemy and God's rich blessing of people that scripture describes.
Learning to pray...
Tom, one Abba's children
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Learning to treasure others
Hmmm. I am hesitant to share what I think God wants me to share this week because of the danger that you will think more highly of me than you ought! I believe that God wants me to share a note I sent to my wife a while ago about our probable move out of our current house. I am sharing this partly because someone recently asked Jettie and me if I am as kind and encouraging to her as I usually am with others. Jettie answered "Yes," (whew!), but it was not always so and still isn't that way all the time. But God has changed me deeply over the years and especially the last five years have changed me more than I could have imagined (with more still happening!). And...in my March 4 blog I wrote, "Those closest to us should be the primary recipients of all the good that God is doing in us, not the recipients of 'leftovers.'” So...there should be evidence in my life that I am living this out, right?
I am also sharing this because I sense that there are some husbands out there who need to read what I wrote and catch the heart of it. If we are indeed called to treasure others as God treasures them, then it seems to me that our spouses should be the most treasured of all. I offer this little note as one way Father recently invited me to treasure my bride of almost 40 years.
This morning I spent part of my Secret Place time in our master bedroom. As I sat there quietly in Papa’s presence, I began to look around the room and see the precious little special touches that you have added to the room to make it our “nest.” There were the stuffed animals neatly arranged in a herd of fluffiness on top of the blanket chest. There was another small herd of them over the door to the bathroom and there was your Willow Tree angels on your dresser. Everything in our home speaks of neatness, order, stability, care and peace! Then I started weeping. And I wept and wept as I realized how disruptive it is for you to have this very peaceful and personal nest called our home changed yet one more time. I realized more than I ever have before how God has wired you in such a wonderful way. You were created to be a “nester” and to arrange and order your nest with incredible care and skill and then open that nest to others. You were created to settle in, with a remarkable, innate ability to make a home special to you and to those you love. Yet, in the past, I along with others haven’t appreciated or treasured you or this special ability in you. Instead, I have tended to view it more as an obstacle or an annoyance rather than the precious expression of the stability of God that is so much a part of who you are. Forgive me/us for that, please. It will not be that way from me in the future!
I also realize now, more than ever, how much we broken human beings try to make others into our image instead of allowing God to express His infinite uniqueness in a one-of-a-kind way through each person. We do that, I suppose, because we are ourselves unaware of our own special and highly valuable uniqueness and because we are afraid that God can’t be trusted to handle other people! That last remark looks silly as I write it, but it’s true, I think.
But now, having wept many tears on your behalf, although I hear Father reminding me never to live in regret, I also hear Him inviting me to share your pain. I hear Him gently telling me that I have in the past been calloused towards the deep invasion of who you were created to be that a disrupted nest brings to you. And I am appalled at how many times your nest has been disrupted without my having even a clue as to how this violates who you are. By God’s grace, I will not allow this to be so in the future, and I am asking Him even now to help me enter into your pain.
Yes, we both know that we can rebuild the nest again as needed, and we both know that we will grow in our trust in Him through any and every disruption, but I hope never to view the shaking of your nest in the same way that I have in the past. I see now how true it is that "good nesting" and stability are very special gifts and a remarkable expression of how Father has made you, and I therefore also see what a deep and painful shaking it really has been for you to have your nest dismantled so very many times. I will weep, then, as I look at the little herds of fur and at the treasured memories arranged so carefully around the room…
SHMIRLY
Dear ones, please, please ask God for grace to treasure others... (also, SHMIRLY is short for "See How Much I Really Love You--I figured someone would ask!).
Learning to love as I live loved.
Tom, one of Abba's little boys
I am also sharing this because I sense that there are some husbands out there who need to read what I wrote and catch the heart of it. If we are indeed called to treasure others as God treasures them, then it seems to me that our spouses should be the most treasured of all. I offer this little note as one way Father recently invited me to treasure my bride of almost 40 years.
This morning I spent part of my Secret Place time in our master bedroom. As I sat there quietly in Papa’s presence, I began to look around the room and see the precious little special touches that you have added to the room to make it our “nest.” There were the stuffed animals neatly arranged in a herd of fluffiness on top of the blanket chest. There was another small herd of them over the door to the bathroom and there was your Willow Tree angels on your dresser. Everything in our home speaks of neatness, order, stability, care and peace! Then I started weeping. And I wept and wept as I realized how disruptive it is for you to have this very peaceful and personal nest called our home changed yet one more time. I realized more than I ever have before how God has wired you in such a wonderful way. You were created to be a “nester” and to arrange and order your nest with incredible care and skill and then open that nest to others. You were created to settle in, with a remarkable, innate ability to make a home special to you and to those you love. Yet, in the past, I along with others haven’t appreciated or treasured you or this special ability in you. Instead, I have tended to view it more as an obstacle or an annoyance rather than the precious expression of the stability of God that is so much a part of who you are. Forgive me/us for that, please. It will not be that way from me in the future!
I also realize now, more than ever, how much we broken human beings try to make others into our image instead of allowing God to express His infinite uniqueness in a one-of-a-kind way through each person. We do that, I suppose, because we are ourselves unaware of our own special and highly valuable uniqueness and because we are afraid that God can’t be trusted to handle other people! That last remark looks silly as I write it, but it’s true, I think.
But now, having wept many tears on your behalf, although I hear Father reminding me never to live in regret, I also hear Him inviting me to share your pain. I hear Him gently telling me that I have in the past been calloused towards the deep invasion of who you were created to be that a disrupted nest brings to you. And I am appalled at how many times your nest has been disrupted without my having even a clue as to how this violates who you are. By God’s grace, I will not allow this to be so in the future, and I am asking Him even now to help me enter into your pain.
Yes, we both know that we can rebuild the nest again as needed, and we both know that we will grow in our trust in Him through any and every disruption, but I hope never to view the shaking of your nest in the same way that I have in the past. I see now how true it is that "good nesting" and stability are very special gifts and a remarkable expression of how Father has made you, and I therefore also see what a deep and painful shaking it really has been for you to have your nest dismantled so very many times. I will weep, then, as I look at the little herds of fur and at the treasured memories arranged so carefully around the room…
SHMIRLY
Dear ones, please, please ask God for grace to treasure others... (also, SHMIRLY is short for "See How Much I Really Love You--I figured someone would ask!).
Learning to love as I live loved.
Tom, one of Abba's little boys
Friday, June 19, 2009
Even more thoughts on faith
I am on the road and on vacation, so I am not sure how coherent this will be, but my blog is one thing that I like to continue even while I am resting. I want to write at least one more entry on faith. I am going to review a bit before I talk about “faith and hearing,” so bear with me, please.
Learning to listen to the One who listens most carefully to us,
Tom, one of Abba's little boys
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
A few more thoughts on faith
Hmmm, I keep getting more things on faith as it is biblically defined, so I will keep writing on it for at least one more entry, possibly more. Perhaps I am writing so much about this because Jettie and I are privileged to be in the "school of trust" right now! Okay, here goes some rambling thoughts.
Faith and fear. Because faith is something that grows as our relationship with the other person grows, it means that it grows only by "being needed." We learn that God is faithful when we see Him prove Himself faithful in our lives when we respond to our fears by turning to Him. This helps us to see that fear, in and of itself, is not bad nor an indication of "weak faith." Fear when it first arrives is simply an invitation to consider where my trust will be placed!
So it's what we do with fear once we realize its presence that will determine whether or not our trust will grow. David, writing during a truly frightening situation said, "Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You." (Psalm 56:3 NKJV). Then, in the next verse he says, "In God I have put my trust; I will not fear."
So living in faith doesn’t mean that we are never afraid. It means that we know to whom to turn when we sense fear/anxiety coming. Yes, over time our trust can grow into a deeper and deeper trust that results in almost unshakeable peace, as I have previously written about, but because faith by its nature must grow, there will often be things that challenge our peace, no matter how deep it is. The difference is that with maturing faith, the fear will become an invitation to run to our Refuge and to re-surrender conrtol rather than the dominating factor in our life. (Is this making sense? I hope so!).
Also, since faith/trust grows only as it becomes necessary, it doesn’t come first or automatically. That’s why filling our minds with Scripture, although helpful, will not automatically build faith. No, faith becomes biblical faith (trust) only when it leads to a decision which leads to "action" (even if the action is to "stand still and wait for God). So even though the revelation of God’s character in His word, the testimonies of other people, the reminders of His work in our lives up to this point--all of these--help us make the decision, they aren’t the decision! By the way, on a related note, my experience is that the "decision" is most often a series of repeated decisions (whenever I am afraid, I will decide again...").
Now the good news here is that God never requires more trust than what is possible for us at the moment, but it will usually “feel” like it’s more than we have because that’s the nature of faith. The struggle we face at those times is one of surrender and release of control. It is at those times that His word and the record of His faithfulness in our life up to that point become helpful reminders that increase the volume of the Holy Spirit's invitation to collapse again into the River of God's sovereign, loving faithfulness.
Now why have I written so extensively about fear and faith? Because I know so many folks who beat themselves up for being afraid. (And sometimes other join in on the party and beat them up as well. Ironically, the only time anyone else "beats up on another" because of their "lack of faith" is because the one doing the beating is him/herself afraid!). But fear is a natural, expected first response to things. It's what we do with the fear that will determine how trust develops in our lives. "Whenever I am afraid, even if it's a hundred times a day, I will decide again to collapse in trusting surrender into Your loving arms!" Remember, dear ones, that God wants you trust Him for your own good, not because He has some kind of need to be trusted or need to control you. He wants you to enjoy the great level of easy trust that exists within the Godhead itself, a trust that is rich with infinite love and immeasurable peace. So beating up on yourself is neither helpful nor required! :-)
Hmmm, this is long enough. I guess next week I will write about the connection between "faith and hearing." Stay tuned...
Living in peace, learning to trust whenever I am afraid...
Tom, one of Abba's little boys
Faith and fear. Because faith is something that grows as our relationship with the other person grows, it means that it grows only by "being needed." We learn that God is faithful when we see Him prove Himself faithful in our lives when we respond to our fears by turning to Him. This helps us to see that fear, in and of itself, is not bad nor an indication of "weak faith." Fear when it first arrives is simply an invitation to consider where my trust will be placed!
So it's what we do with fear once we realize its presence that will determine whether or not our trust will grow. David, writing during a truly frightening situation said, "Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You." (Psalm 56:3 NKJV). Then, in the next verse he says, "In God I have put my trust; I will not fear."
So living in faith doesn’t mean that we are never afraid. It means that we know to whom to turn when we sense fear/anxiety coming. Yes, over time our trust can grow into a deeper and deeper trust that results in almost unshakeable peace, as I have previously written about, but because faith by its nature must grow, there will often be things that challenge our peace, no matter how deep it is. The difference is that with maturing faith, the fear will become an invitation to run to our Refuge and to re-surrender conrtol rather than the dominating factor in our life. (Is this making sense? I hope so!).
Also, since faith/trust grows only as it becomes necessary, it doesn’t come first or automatically. That’s why filling our minds with Scripture, although helpful, will not automatically build faith. No, faith becomes biblical faith (trust) only when it leads to a decision which leads to "action" (even if the action is to "stand still and wait for God). So even though the revelation of God’s character in His word, the testimonies of other people, the reminders of His work in our lives up to this point--all of these--help us make the decision, they aren’t the decision! By the way, on a related note, my experience is that the "decision" is most often a series of repeated decisions (whenever I am afraid, I will decide again...").
Now the good news here is that God never requires more trust than what is possible for us at the moment, but it will usually “feel” like it’s more than we have because that’s the nature of faith. The struggle we face at those times is one of surrender and release of control. It is at those times that His word and the record of His faithfulness in our life up to that point become helpful reminders that increase the volume of the Holy Spirit's invitation to collapse again into the River of God's sovereign, loving faithfulness.
Now why have I written so extensively about fear and faith? Because I know so many folks who beat themselves up for being afraid. (And sometimes other join in on the party and beat them up as well. Ironically, the only time anyone else "beats up on another" because of their "lack of faith" is because the one doing the beating is him/herself afraid!). But fear is a natural, expected first response to things. It's what we do with the fear that will determine how trust develops in our lives. "Whenever I am afraid, even if it's a hundred times a day, I will decide again to collapse in trusting surrender into Your loving arms!" Remember, dear ones, that God wants you trust Him for your own good, not because He has some kind of need to be trusted or need to control you. He wants you to enjoy the great level of easy trust that exists within the Godhead itself, a trust that is rich with infinite love and immeasurable peace. So beating up on yourself is neither helpful nor required! :-)
Hmmm, this is long enough. I guess next week I will write about the connection between "faith and hearing." Stay tuned...
Living in peace, learning to trust whenever I am afraid...
Tom, one of Abba's little boys
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