Someone was sharing with me the wisdom according to bumper stickers. They had read a bumper sticker that said "Nothing changes if nothing changes." It is kind of cute and then it is kind of deep; then it is profound. How many times have we had good intentions that never became realities? How many New Year's resolutions never made it till February?
I am reminded of another bit of wisdom - "To get something you have never had you have to do something you have never done." Desired results are not the same as the committment necessary to bring those results into reality. It seems that most of us have sincere desires for new and better things in our lives but we do not have the strength and committment to make those desires a reality.
When Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for I wonder if that means that faith is the consistent doing of things that produce what we hope for? It seems that faith in Christian circles has come to mean either how I feel about things or it is the vehicle by which I make God do things. But what if faith is the something changing of something in us so that something can change in us? What if faith is not believing that God can do something but acting in cooperation with what we believe or need God to do? If I am asking God to help me with an area of my life, maybe I need to make myself obedient to God in that area of my life. Maybe I need to bring faith - substance - to what I am asking God to help me with. If I need God's help with relationships in my life maybe I should get out of immoral relationships and treat the people in my life the way He said to treat people. If I need God's help with my finances maybe I should manage the funds I have according to His directions.
Nothing changes if nothing changes. Maybe faith is not wishing for things or just believing God can do things. Maybe faith is making changes in a way that gives substance to the desired results.
Just thinking out loud . . .
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
"For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
ReplyDeleteFor this is God’s will: that you become holy,
that you keep away from sexual immorality,
that each of you know how to possess his own body in holiness and honor,
not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God.
In this matter no one should violate the rights of his brother or take advantage of him,
because the Lord is the avenger in all these cases, as we also told you earlier and warned you solemnly.
For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness.
Consequently the one who rejects this is not rejecting human authority but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
Now on the topic of brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write you,
for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.
And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters in all of Macedonia.
But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, to aspire to lead a quiet life,
to attend to your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you.
In this way you will live a decent life before outsiders and not be in need."
1 Thessalonians 4:2-12 N.E.T.