THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUST IN A RELATIONSHIP

“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord Himself, is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation.”  (Isaiah 12:2 NIV)

Have you ever seen the [1975] movie “The Stepford Wives”? The wives in Stepford are systematically replaced by robots that look exactly like them. The husbands can count on precisely the behavior they want from their cyber-spouses. No uncertainty. No frustrations. No need for trust.

But, if you are a man, would you really want a woman who always dressed up for you, always fixed the food you wanted, always cleaned up after you, always agreed with whatever you said, always devoted herself to your pleasure with no will of her own? (The correct response here would be "No.")

"Stepford" is a nightmare community. Why? Because [there is no trust] and trust is the only way that loving persons relate. It can never be removed from the equation. It is the only way to honor the freedom, the dominion, and the dignity of a person. That's the way [our relationship with God] works: trust, risk, vulnerability, faithfulness, intimacy.

-- John Ortberg in “Faith & Doubt”

#6173

THE GOOD AND FAITHFUL LIFE

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”  (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV)

GOODNESS and FAITHFULNESS -- we think of them as the supreme virtues of plain people. Yet they, too, are the fruits of the Spirit. In the long run we cannot really manage them without God. The good citizen, good employer, good artist, good worker -- the faithful husband or wife or [parent] -- in these, too, Divine Love, selfless charity, is bringing forth its fruits within the natural order and on the natural scale: proclaiming the dignity and possibilities of our human life on all levels, disclosing the full meaning of the Word made flesh. Another lesson in not being high-minded; another invitation to come off our self-chosen spiritual perch, whatever it may be, and face the facts of human life.

-- Evelyn Underhill in “The Fruits of the Spirit”

#6129

CONSECRATION IN OVERALLS

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, FAITHFULNESS, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”  (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV)

FAITHFULNESS is consecration in overalls. It is the steady acceptance and performance of the common duty and immediate task without any reference to personal preferences -- because it is there to be one and so is a manifestation of the Will of God. It is Elizabeth Leseur settling down each day to do the household accounts quite perfectly (when she would much rather have been in church) and saying, “The duties of my station come before everything else.” It is Brother Lawrence taking his turn in the kitchen, and Saint Francis de Sales taking the burden of a difficult diocese and saying, “I have now little time for prayer -- but I do what is the same.”

The fruits of the Spirit get less and less showy as they go on. Faithfulness means continuing quietly with the job we have been given, in the situation where we have been placed; not yielding to the restless desire for change. It means tending the lamp quietly for God without wondering how much longer it has got to go on. 

-- Evelyn Underhill in “The Fruits of the Spirit”

#5551

GIVING CHRISTMAS FRUIT

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

This season of gift-giving provides an opportune time to imagine how we might share the fruit of the Spirit during these often hectic days, when both people and packages fill our lives.

• Love — We can sift every thought, word, and action through the filter of “Is it demonstrating the love of Christ?”

• Joy — We can be the source of smiles, laughter, and appreciation because of the joy of Christ in us.

• Peace — We can fill the atmosphere with our own sense of the peace Christ, a calm amid the chaos, so that it brings peace to others.

• Patience — We can be more tolerant when things go awry knowing Christ is that way with us.

• Kindness — We can shower others with affirmation, encouraging the flickering light of Christ to burn more brightly in their lives.

• Goodness — We can focus on the positives, rather than the faults, on what is good and acceptable as Christ did.

• Faithfulness — We can be true to the blessed meaning of the Christmas season -- Emmanuel, God with us.

• Gentleness — We can give our full attention to each person, one at a time, not omitting even the most outcast.

• Self-control — We can commit ourselves to no outbursts, no over-indulgences, only Christ-centered behavior.

We can’t give away what we don’t possess; our connection to the Spirit is vital. As the fruit of the Spirit is grown within us, we can bestow blessings on those around us out of the abundant crop.

-- Generously adapted from “Rhythms of Growth: 365 Meditations to Nurture the Soul” by Linda Douty

#5497

CHARACTER MATTERS

“For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to Him, and to keep His commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.”   (Deuteronomy 30:16 NIV)

Does character really matter? The collective wisdom of the ages would say it matters a great deal. In both classical and biblical cultures -- civilizations that have been so deeply formative to our own -- people well understood there to be a direct association between the character of individuals and the well-being of the society as a whole. Individual character was essential to decency, order, and justice within public life. Without it, hardship was not far off. … Indeed, much of the history of the ancient Hebrews can be told as a story of blessing for faithfulness to God -- abiding by God’s standard of holiness -- and punishment for abandoning those standards.  

-- James Davison Hunter in “The Death of Character”

#4954

LENTEN MEDITATION

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things."  (Philippians 4:8 NIV)

While waiting to fly out of the General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin I stopped by the MKE Meditation Room. Around the back of the room on arching panels were words in large type. As I pondered these words I thought they would be good words to think about or meditate on during this Lenten season.

First time through, read them as a whole, pondering their value for us in our world today. Second time through, stop after each word and meditate on their meaning for you personally.  I think you will find they make for a good Lenten Meditation.

Hope.
Respect.
Wisdom.
Forgiveness.
Joy.
Courage.
Love.
Faithfulness.
Strength.
Kindness.
Peace.
Compassion.
Grace.

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson


#4543

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

Faithfulness comes from good stock. If ever a word had good parents, impressive grandparents, and sterling ancestors, it is faithfulness. That's because faithfulness comes from God Himself.


God. The God who made a covenant with Abraham and said, "I will be faithful to you." God. The same God who made a covenant with Moses and the Israelites and said, "I will be faithful to you." God. The very God who made a covenant with the entire world by sending Jesus Christ in order to say, "In Him, I am faithful to you." God is faithful. That means God keeps His word. God does what He says He will do. He makes good on His promises. God is true even when His people are not. Faithfulness is an old, old word. Faithfulness is a good word. It is God's word.


-- Allen R. Hunt in Nine Words




#3836

COMPLETE SURRENDER

When did we start believing that God wants to send us to safe places to do easy things? That faithfulness is holding the fort? That playing it safe is safe? That there is any greater privilege than sacrifice? That radical is anything but normal?

Jesus didn't die to keep us safe. He died to make us dangerous. Faithfulness is not holding the fort. It's storming the gates of hell. The will of God is not an insurance plan. It's a daring plan. The complete surrender of your life to the cause of Christ isn't radical. It's normal.

It's time to quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. It's time to go all in and all out for the All in All.

-- Mark Batterson in All In

#3657

KEEP AT IT

Don’t make the mistake of Florence Chadwick.  In 1952 she attempted to swim the chilly ocean waters between Catalina Island and the California shore.  She swam through foggy weather and choppy seas for fifteen hours.  Her muscles began to cramp, and her resolve weakened.  She begged to be taken out of the water, but her mother, riding in a boat alongside, urged her not to give up.  She kept trying but grew exhausted and stopped swimming.  Aids lifted her out of the water and into the boat.  They paddled a few more minutes, the mist broke, and she discovered the shore was less than a half mile away.  “All I could see was the fog,” she explained at a news conference.  “I think if I could have seen the shore, I would have made it.”

Take a long look at the shore that awaits you.  Don’t be fooled by the fog...  The finish may be only strokes away.  God may be, at this moment, lifting his hand to signal Gabriel to grab the trumpet.  Angels may be assembling, saints gathering, demons trembling.  Stay at it!  Stay in the water.  Stay in the race.  Stay in the fight.  Give grace, one more time.  Be generous, one more time.  Teach one more class, encourage one more soul, swim one more stroke.

-- Max Lucado in Facing Your Giants


#3294

FAITHFUL FOLLOWERS

“To God’s holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 1:1b NIV)

“Faithful followers of Christ Jesus” -- what an excellent reputation! Such a label would be an honor for any believer. What would it take for others to characterize you as a faithful follower of Jesus Christ? Hold fast to your faith, one day at at time; faithfully obey God, even in the details of life. Then, like the Ephesians, you will be known as a person who is faithful to the Lord.

-- from The Life Application Study Bible


#3272

WHAT'S NEXT?

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." (Psalm 119:105 NIV)

Only those who try to live near God, and have formed the habit of faithfulness to Him in the small things of our daily life, can hope in times of need for that special light which shows us our path.  To do as well as we can the job immediately before us, is the way to learn what we ought to do next.  

-- Evelyn Underhill

#3008

THE HIGH SEAS OF COMMITMENT

On a sunny August morning, three different couples prepare for a weekend of "sailing." One couple gets out of their car, the one with the license plate holder that reads, "I'd Rather Be Sailing," and begin to haul their provisions to the boat. It takes them several trips to carry their picnic basket and the rest of their gear to their craft. Once aboard, they change their clothes, turn on the music, and then spend the better part of the day lounging around on the boat (which is still tied to the dock), reading and napping and talking. They sleep in the cabin Saturday night, and on Sunday morning go through roughly the same routine of the previous day, cleaning up the sailboat, reading and napping. Then about four o'clock, they pack everything up and drive back home.

The second couple gets to their boat early on Saturday morning. They travel to the same marina, they have the same license plate frame, they bring the same gear, turn on the same music, socialize a bit, but then they do something somewhat odd: They start up the motor. They untie the ropes. They back out of their slip and cruise around the harbor.

The couple may spend an hour looking at the other boats in the harbor and then drop anchor to cook a dinner meal. That evening, they may even venture out by the breakwater, to gaze out on the open seas, but then come back in, sleep on the sailboat, and repeat the whole process on Sunday.

The third couple gets to their boat early on Saturday, brings their gear aboard, backs out of the slip, and head straight for the breakwater. As they're heading out, they hoist the sails, and when the wind fills them, they shut off the motor and enter the open sea. They hear the sails straining and the water rushing along the hull. They feel the swells rising up underneath them, and they keep going until the sight of land is lost. They spend the entire night out on the seas, cooking in spite of the motion of the boat underneath them. They use a flashlight at night to look at the charts and to keep their bearings. And then they come back into the harbor late Sunday night.

On Monday morning, each couple will be asked, "What did you do this weekend?" and each couple will give the same answer, "We went sailing." But did they really do the same thing?

It's like that with our commitments, isn't it? Take, for instance, the commitment between a man and a woman. Some couples will promise to be committed to each other for a night of romance, but they make no pretence that they will leave the dock of autonomy or independence. In fact, they're not even going to untie the boat.

Another couple might make a deeper commitment. Maybe they'll agree to stay faithful to each other "as long as their love shall last." Perhaps they'll even move in together and share the bills. In this, they're willing to motor around the harbor of relationship for a little while, but they never go so far as to lose sight of the land or to seriously venture into the high seas of commitment.

Yet the third couple might enter into a permanent commitment called marriage. They leave the dock of autonomy far behind and even pass through the harbor of casual relationship, reaching the high seas of commitment. No matter how rough the weather, they rule out the option of returning to the dock. They came prepared to sail, and sail they will.

The same analogy is true of faith. Some people "play" at being a Christian. They show up at church a couple of times a month, drop a five-dollar bill into the offering, and do their best to look religious, but they never untie their boat. They always manage to maintain a connection with the safety of the shoreline. Others attend church every week, boost their offerings, and occasionally even show up to volunteer for something. They're willing to motor around the harbor and "experiment" with dependence on God, but since they stop short of the open water, they never really know what it would be like to trust God deeply and fully.

The really committed leave the safety of the harbor, accept the risk of the open seas of faith, and set their compasses for the place of total devotion to God and whatever life adventures He plans for them. These are the people who eventually experience the commitment-making-and-keeping nature of God. These are the ones who will someday sing, "Great is Thy Faithfulness" at the top of their lungs.

-- Bill Hybels in The God You're Looking For

 
#2812

GIVING TO GOD

Rather than giving God our ability, He wants our availability.

-- Unknown


#2642

A GOD THING

Did you happen to notice what word was the winning word at the 2009 Spelling Bee Championship this week? LAODICEAN.

You might say, "who cares?" Or like I did, "What does it mean?"

So I looked it up in the Webster Dictionary and this is what it said: 1. Of the ancient city of Laodicea. 2. Indifferent or lukewarm in religion, as the early Christians of that city: Revelation 3:14-16.

Well I must say that I was surprised that the secular Webster dictionary quoted Biblical scripture so I looked up that as well. And it said: "This is what you must write to the angel of the church in Laodicea: I am the one called Trustworthy. I am the faithful and true witness and the source of God's creation. Listen to what I say. I know everything you have done, and you are not cold or hot. I wish you were either one or the other. But since you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spit you out of my mouth."

Is this just a random occurrence or is it what a friend calls "A God Thing"? It makes you wonder... if it had been answered incorrectly it would have gone into obscurity like every other word at the Spelling Bee. Instead, there may be others around the country like me who wondered what it meant and looked it up... only to be reminded of the importance of not being lukewarm in our Christian faith.

-- Karen Brown


#2314

A SPIRITUALITY OF SIMPLICITY

When we begin to live a spirituality of simplicity, our primary concern ceases to be success and becomes faithfulness. We are called to live with integrity, to express the truth as we perceive it, and to trust in God's ability to use what we offer.

-- Elizabeth J. Canham in Heart Whispers


#2293