Are you faithful only to your circumstances?

I was talking with one of our leaders today at the ROC and I got some very interesting insight. He was explaining to me that there are really 2 kinds of faithful Christians. There are those who are thoroughly faithful (I’ll explain more on that in a moment) and there are those who are faithful to their circumstances. It’s the latter I’ll address first.

It’s easy to be faithful to God when things are going well, when we’re on top of the mountain. They view is great, the air is clean and crisp and we can soak everything in and not have a worry in the world. It’s a little tougher when the trials come our way to stay faithful. It’s the valleys that really show how faithful we are.

At the ROC we minister to many different types of people. But we don’t kid ourselves in that many of the folks we are working with and helping to rebuild their lives are drug addicts and alcoholics. These are not the only trials that God sends us it’s just that we do get to work with this type of trial on a regular basis. We have had several cases recently where people have left the church because they were unable to keep their faith during one of these trials. It pains me so much to see a Christian brother or sister struggle, backslide and go back into the world they were trying so hard to leave behind.

As we grow in our faith it’s such an important lesson to learn that God sends us trials to build us up. To give us the opportunity to show him that we can be strong in him and that his grace is really all we need. When we need more money God does not always send us a brinks truck full of cash. But he might show us where we are allowing the world to dictate to us how we are using the money we do have. Did we really need the new car, the bigger house, the plasma TV or were we just trying to puff ourselves up for the world to see? God might put us in great financial peril to allow us the opportunity to show him that we are truly faithful. The current mortgage and credit crisis we are facing in this country comes to mind.

We have to always remember that Gods delays are not necessarily Gods denials and that sometimes the answer to a prayer request is simply “No” This does not mean God loves us any less, but more that he’s giving us the opportunity to show him we love him even more. An opportunity to say you know what God your grace is sufficient and it’s everything I’ll ever need.

Now you might be reading this and thinking to yourself that I’m doing fine God has not thrown me any curveballs and all is well. Give it time he will, if you’re doing his will. If your not then you may never be truly tested. It’s not what we are doing that the devil cares about as long as we are not doing it for God he’s happy. As Christians it’s when we really start to work for God and get busy saving people from eternal darkness that the trials start to come.

So what is being “thoroughly faithful” I think you most likely already have it by now. It’s not allowing anything happening in your life to move you off the path of Gods will in your life. It’s getting the job done no matter how bad a day your having. It’s finishing your homework on time, and getting the report to your boss or making sure the house is clean or the car is fixed no matter what else is going on and keeping your eyes focused on God through it all.

I recently was reflecting on the past year and I realized that I’ve had some trials this year. I was engaged to a wonderful woman who I loved and planned to marry, but we realized that it was not God’s will for us to be together. I buried one of my sisters, but God had allowed me to re-connect with her about 6 months prior to her death and blessed me with that relationship being restored. Then a few weeks ago I totaled my car, but no one was hurt and we all walked away from it ok. In my past life any one of those events might have caused me to think it was ok to drink, or do drugs and just drop out of life for awhile. But now my foundation is solidly built on Jesus and I will not waver. It’s the beginning to my favorite bible verse. ACTS 20:24 “But none of these things move me…” and that’s the way I live my life now.

I don’t tell you any of this to impress you or to try and puff myself up. I know i can’t do any of it without Jesus in my life. I tell it you because it impresses me how much God can do with a sinner like me. And to let you know we are no different, he can work just the same in your life if you’ll allow him to. That’s the key; we have to allow him to. He’s there ready willing and able. All you have to do is open the door and let him in.

I’ll end with this. It does not matter where you are in your walk with God, weather you’re a baby Christian or a veteran. Weather you’ve been saved for 20 years or weather you invited Jesus into your heart for the first time today. God has a plan for your life. If you are going through trials now it’s so he can make you into the man or woman he wants you to be. Never forget that is it because he will never leave us that we can make it through the valleys. And let me tell you from personal experience the mountaintop looks just a little better and they air is just a little crisper when you get there with your faith strong and him at your side.

Thanks, God bless and have a great weekend. http://www.theroc.com/