Weekly Word
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
Faith is a most difficult endeavor.
Babies and toddlers mostly live by faith. That may be why Jesus encouraged us to have faith “like a child.” Babies rely 100% on others. They have no choice really; they cannot fend for themselves. They simply have faith that mommy will pull them close to her breast. They have faith that someone will safely put them in their car seat. They can accomplish nothing on their own, so they put their trust in others.
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
As we age, we like to think that we can “do it ourselves.” We are strong and smart. We think that our lives will never end. We figure things out, we have most of the answers, life is pretty black and white. There seems to be little need for God or faith.
Faith is a most difficult endeavor. It is hoping for and believing in something that cannot be proven, something that is totally beyond our reason or control. It is about embracing mystery and claiming our place, as fragile insecure creatures bound some day to die.
Faith is a most difficult endeavor. Most days, I am not sure how God is working. Some days, it seems that God is not working at all. My prayers often go unanswered. I see no evidence that God is even listening to my prayers. I pray for peace, and the world is much the same as it was when I started praying some 40 years ago. I pray for the people of God at TLC, and they die, they suffer, they are forgetful, and often lonely.
Faith is a most difficult endeavor. Adam and Eve did not want to trust God. They were not happy being loved and cared for. Adam and Eve wanted to be in control, they want to know, they wanted a say in the trajectory of human affairs. I am more like Adam and Eve than I would like to admit.
Faith is a most difficult endeavor. But in the end, there is nowhere else to turn. In the end, God will believe in us even if we do not believe in God. In the end, God will love us even if we do not love God. In the end, God will have faith in us even if we have lost all faith. How do I know that? I don’t. I am certain about very little at this point in my life.
I guess if I am to regain the faith of a child, then I will have to become more childlike. I will need to depend on others to feed me, to drive me around, to change my diapers, and care for me. That day will come, but until then, I guess I will just try to get more comfortable being a creature. I will give thanks for what I understand and for what I don’t yet understand. I will look to heaven and say, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.”
May God Bless us as we journey together!
Pastor Jim
