"Memorial Day: Day 4" for Friday, 25 May 2018 - goTandem
When we think of the heroes of the faith, we traditionally think of these holy people with bulletproof reputations. They are spotless icons to which we feel like we'll never quite measure up to.
We want to be bold like Paul because he wrote most of the New Testament with a righteous authority and strength that most of us, myself included, can only dream of. We want to be like Abraham, who gave up everything to go on the world's weirdest road trip with God's invisible will as his only map. We want to be like David who, when faced with insurmountable odds, overcame giants, bears, lions, armies and an evil stepfather with grit and grace.
We want to forget that the Apostle Paul was really good at killing Christians before he was converted. And that Abraham was both unfaithful to his wife and encouraged her to be unfaithful to him to save their skins. And David, when everything was going for him, slept with and impregnated the wife of one of his most loyal soldiers, then had the guy murdered because David couldn't trick the guy into believing the baby was his. These are our precious heroes of the faith. These are the people we look up to. The ones we want to be.
Now don't get me wrong, the stories of Paul, David, Abraham and all of the others need to be told. They all include inspiring, incredible acts of faith. Acts of faith that I can't wait to see reenacted in heaven around a holy campfire. (At least, that's how I picture how it will happen.) But these are also men who are laid low by their humanity. Their "perfect" representations of faith are pock marked by the sins they indulged in along the way. And why? Because they were sinful people in need of a holy God just like you and me. The only reason they needed to have such great faith was because they were weak, like us.
It's hard to imagine these men and women of incredible Biblical strength as human, but we need to. Because that's where we can find our hope. We can look these people square in the face and say "You couldn't do it alone." Each of these people realized their complete lack of ability, surrendered to God, and allowed Him to direct their lives. This is what makes them our heroes of the faith.
And He demands the exact same thing from you and me. Regardless of our sins, our past, our present circumstances, God wants you to give up. To "cast all of your cares unto him" so that He can shoulder the load and use you and me, cracked and fractured vessels, and redeem us with His perfect will. But to do so, we need to be willing to acknowledge that we can't control our futures as well as God can.
In short, we need faith.
"Suffering is Nothing" for Friday, 25 May 2018 - gotandem
What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. (Romans 8:18)
How do you define suffering? What is glory?
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"Pass It On" for Friday, 25 May 2018 - gotandem
He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. (2 Corinthians 1:4)
What is God's reaction to troubles?
Have you been able to help someone through their troubles because of how God has helped you?
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He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. (2 Corinthians 1:4)
What is God's reaction to troubles?
Have you been able to help someone through their troubles because of how God has helped you?
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