Forged By Faith

2 Timothy 2:10 NIV Have we made our lives so introspective that we're all but unable to grasp the real reason that we're still here? Contrary to what's obviously common thought, our lives are not our own. Our time is not an endless stream of opportunities meant to be exhausted on only ourselves. Our lives were not designed for us to live them in complete solitude of mind as if no one else is living theirs. In truth, God placed us in this sea of faces in order to make ripples, to create waves, to serve as a lifeline to those sinking beneath the surface. But often that opportunity is left unfulfilled as it likely requires our willingness to dive into His will and swim against the current of all that's seen as normal, comfortable and acceptable in the hearts and minds of those we're sharing this ball of dirt with at the moment. His calling and the path it follows does not afford us the self-fulfilling ideals that we've spent so many days envisioning. Instead, His p...

2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV To present ourselves as a living sacrifice holy and pleasing to God is literally all we have to offer the One who gave us hope at the very chance of anything better than what our sins and shortcomings fully deserve. But in light of the fact that His salvation isn't merely a distant hope but an assured coming promise, to give Him the reigns of our lives as we fully surrender to His will should be seen as an exciting opportunity that we couldn't be more honored to undertake. But as we discussed rather briefly in yesterday's post, there are quite a few stumbling blocks found in that calling that leave much of humanity highly uninterested, and even some who call themselves Christians rather unsure. Could it be that we pull back at the idea of presenting our lives as an ongoing sacrifice to be used as God sees fit according to His perfect will because we're still clinging to this selfish idea that sacrifice and the corresponding humility that makes it ...

Romans 12:1 NIV All from One, all for One. A living sacrifice. Unfortunately, many times, if not most times in life, we don't see ourselves as such, and likely for many reasons. It's a strange concept for us to even consider let alone actively undertake. This idea of a 'living' sacrifice just comes across as yet another impossibility that we humans can't seem to make fit in our minds. Aren't sacrifices things that are lost, removed, killed? How then can we be 'living sacrifices'? Well, it's found in what we discussed yesterday. It's our willingness to allow God to use us, our lives, our time, our story, even our suffering and bodily turmoil according to His will. It's humbly surrendering all of who we are, all of what we want, all of what we'd highly prefer in exchange for an excited eagerness to fulfill the opportunities granted us to show the world who God is. But still, how do we do that? How do we show the world who our God is? How do...

Philippians 1:29 NIV Our lives are our testimony, and sadly, I think we tend to underestimate the power in that fact. I think we overlook and undervalue the opportunities we're given to not only speak about Jesus and the Gospel and this faith that we have, but to put those words into action. To back up the words we say and the messages we share does far more than those words could ever accomplish on their own. Because, as I'm sure we've all heard a least a few thousand times, actions speak louder than words. And when it comes to our faith and the sharing of the Gospel that we're called to undertake as part of our service and offering to God in return for all He's done for us, that truth is infinitely more resounding. People need more than just some somewhat passionate words that seem to sound right. They need more than quotes from pastors or a handful of verses that we've chosen to memorize. They need to see that we actually mean every word we say in regard to o...

Romans 5:3 NIV Do we truly trust in God? Like really trust Him? As much as we say we do? With our lives? With our hopes? With our eternities? With everything? You see, we claim that we do. We share all these upbeat and uplifting quotes and little images speaking to our trust in Him. In fact, many of the messages shared in our faith are aimed at testifying to our trust of the One in whom we worship. We offer all of this praise to the God who did all that He has done in order to secure our freedom, our forgiveness, our salvation. Forever. But, still it somehow seems incomplete when viewed in combination with our reactions to life's difficulties. If we truly believe that God is the God who loves, who saves, who heals, who redeems and revives, then why is it that we seemingly find no issue in resorting to all of the complaining that we do when faced with one of life's more challenging moments? Why, if we actually believe that God is truly good, truly faithful, truly kind and compas...

Philippians 3:10 NIV To know Christ. I believe that is in fact the goal of many, as it should be in our faith. But just how fully? How fully do we want to experience the power of the Gospel? Just how much of the story of Jesus’ life and death are we willing to face? To say that we wish to know Christ means more than simply knowing the Divine who currently sits upon the throne of Heaven. It also means knowing the Man who walked this earth being hated and judged and rejected, and yes, even tortured. To know Christ isn’t just to know peace. While He does bring peace, He often leads us through turmoil to get there. But, in all of our preference for comfort and ease and tranquility of life, I'm afraid we kind of neglect that part. We tend to only focus in on the good, the happy, the uplifting, the personally beneficial. We go so far in that direction in fact that we largely loathe our rather minute and miniscule miseries. Truth be told, all of humanity is rather unwilling to even consid...

1 Corinthians 15:19 NIV Considering what we've been offered, it really makes you wonder why this incessant focus on making this life in this world our priority. Why, in light of the gift of eternal salvation, are we still so adamant to make this temporary jaunt so lavish and comfortable? Is it that we don't fully understand the concept of eternity? Do we not fully believe in the idea of salvation? Or is it simply that this way of life here is all we've known, and our ability to find peace in the known is simply far more pacifying than allowing our minds to grasp for that which we can't possibly imagine? I was thinking about all this last night as I lay in bed. There's this little girl named Riley that you may or may not have seen posts about on social media. This little lady has gone through so much in such a short life. MRI's, CT scans, numerous surgeries, countless hours spent in hospitals and waiting rooms. Cancer is a truly horrific thing, and for anyone who...