In the last eight years of my life and in the life of my family, we have weathered many storms. I am sure some of you reading this have as well. I have felt the fire licking at my heels at times. I have been tried, tested and stretched as far as I thought I could go....and then just a little bit more. When I first accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior seventeen years ago, I was elated to be in relationship with him and saved from the life I was living at the time. I knew exactly what I was saved from. I had lived a very worldly existence. I naively thought that things would be easier and life would not be the struggle it was before. I quickly learned that was not the case. I had a peace I had never had before, a wonderful Lord that is always with me and a place in eternity with Him. However, I still live on planet earth and I still have my own dying flesh and a relentless adversary to contend with. As a new believer I looked to others for examples on how to walk this Christian walk. I have had some incredible people walk with me in different seasons of my growth. For that provision I am forever grateful to God. I have also seen some unkindness in professing believers that at the time shook me to my very core. "Friendly fire" so to speak. The kind of treatment and behavior that the world judges us all by.
I have come to the conclusion that God doesn't will for us to go through maltreatment or neglect at the hands of other believers, but He does allow it and He does use these experiences in our lives to draw us closer to Him. If we always depend on others to feel "OK" would we look to Him? If other people had all the answers and never made a mistake would we search Him out for wisdom and guidance? If our "pillars of strength" in human form could hold us up in all circumstances would we ever become broken, weak and tired enough to seek Him? I wouldn't have. Honestly. It is easier to depend on someone you can see with your eyes and hear with your ears. It does not require faith. Others can quickly become an object of dependence! Often we are not even aware that we have put them in that position. That being said, being just human beings, they will inevitably fail. Whether that be an actual failure in integrity, that they physically pass away or they simply just don't have the ability or resources to hold you up, people are not meant to be objects of faith. Even very godly individuals are merely flesh and blood. So whether it is a marriage, friendship or any relationship we must never put our faith in another human being. To do so is to court pain, disillusionment and disappointment.
So I ask you today, who or what is your object of faith? Have you put your faith in a person or group of people? Have you put your faith in a situation or arrangement? A job or career? Your own self sufficiency perhaps? I tend to. I am being very honest now. Over the years I have had to refocus my faith and put it back where it belongs. My faith rests in God alone. All else is just sinking sand.
I have come to the conclusion that God doesn't will for us to go through maltreatment or neglect at the hands of other believers, but He does allow it and He does use these experiences in our lives to draw us closer to Him. If we always depend on others to feel "OK" would we look to Him? If other people had all the answers and never made a mistake would we search Him out for wisdom and guidance? If our "pillars of strength" in human form could hold us up in all circumstances would we ever become broken, weak and tired enough to seek Him? I wouldn't have. Honestly. It is easier to depend on someone you can see with your eyes and hear with your ears. It does not require faith. Others can quickly become an object of dependence! Often we are not even aware that we have put them in that position. That being said, being just human beings, they will inevitably fail. Whether that be an actual failure in integrity, that they physically pass away or they simply just don't have the ability or resources to hold you up, people are not meant to be objects of faith. Even very godly individuals are merely flesh and blood. So whether it is a marriage, friendship or any relationship we must never put our faith in another human being. To do so is to court pain, disillusionment and disappointment.
So I ask you today, who or what is your object of faith? Have you put your faith in a person or group of people? Have you put your faith in a situation or arrangement? A job or career? Your own self sufficiency perhaps? I tend to. I am being very honest now. Over the years I have had to refocus my faith and put it back where it belongs. My faith rests in God alone. All else is just sinking sand.
Deuteronomy 13:4:4 Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him.
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