Forged By Faith

Luke 6:22 NIV Because of the Son of Man. There’s a common misconception running wild through the hearts and minds of many that has them absolutely convinced that a life spent following Christ is somehow nothing but ease, tranquility, peace and prosperity. Maybe it’s simply managed to elude me all this time, but I’ve yet to find the part of the Bible, of the Gospel of Christ where it says that just because we call on His Name that nothing bad or undeserved will ever happen to us. In fact, the Gospel itself testifies to the contrary. The One we claim to follow, the One by whose Name we identify, the One we claim to seek and serve clearly wasn’t offered that path. So, where did this idea come from that tells us that He exists to shield us from all hardship and hatred when His life down here was filled with plenty of both? That idea, my friends, came only from our entitled arrogance that constantly seeks to satisfy our personal preferences. Because the reality of this path we’ve chosen is ...

Isaiah 53:3 NIV It's amazing all the things you can't understand when you think you know it all. This fact is proven rather perfectly in the ironic realization that the One we’ve thought unworthy of our attention or acknowledgement is the very same One to whom we now turn whenever we feel unworthy, unloved, forgotten, alone, afraid, uncertain and ashamed. The Christ that we’ve ignored is the Savior we cry out to help save us from all we’ve been. And because He knows both who we’ve been and who we can be, and because His love won’t do to us as we’ve done to Him, He offers to lead us to the better we’d never find within the assumption that we were good enough already. Because, if we’re to be honest, our good enough would have found us wrapped within the crowd gathered at the foot of the cross thinking it was just some random guy hanging up there. Sadly, our minds seem to have this rapid shut-off switch hidden somewhere deep inside. It's this assumption to which we resort when...

Hebrews 4:15 NIV He knows. Sadly, it seems that’s one fact that is easily and rather quickly overlooked or forgotten when in the midst of one of the many trying times of life. We all know just how often those harder days come around when it seems that everything around us it doing everything it can to break us down, beat us up and get us to give in and accept the defeat we know always seems to be looming over us just waiting to sneak in and undo all that’s been done. This life is one of immense temptation, trial, turmoil, tragedy. And in the mix of all those incredibly difficult situations we’re all just trying. Trying to hold on. Trying to hold it together. Trying to stay focused and stay above the surface and just stay faithful. But so often it seems like we’re right on that edge of falling apart. And it’s in those incredibly frequent moments when we need to remember just who our Savior really is. Just scary how hard that reminder is to find when so many other things and powerful emo...

Matthew 5:10 NIV In order to find a promise very few care to find one must walk a path very few care to walk. That is in fact the path of the life of a follower of Christ. It leads us through this life teaching us to stop worrying so much about this life. It asks us to trust that there awaits us a promise worth enduring whatever hardship may remain in our way. It calls us to take up our crosses and follow the One who showed us how it’s done. And in that calling we find the reality that our experience down here is likely to be far more in line with what Christ experienced than the comforts everyone else chases. Because He proved that home isn’t here, but also that here doesn’t change the home that’s still to come. You've likely heard it said that your home is your sanctuary. It's supposed to be this place of peace and comfort and a warmth that soothes away the pains of life. Home is this idea of a place where we belong, a place where we're welcomed without hesitation into a ...

2 Corinthians 12:10 NIV To boast in that which the world detests is among the greatest measures of our difference. It truly is an incredible thing to experience. As we grow down this path which only becomes narrower and more grating to those striding along the wide and normal, we find this interesting new perspective that's entirely foreign to our old understanding. We find that the things we once tried mightily to hide, ignore, deny are the very things in which we glory as we finally learn to see that it's those things which most bring glory to the One who overcame all we've been. Sadly, so much of society exists within this mindset that has them putting on a show that will never sell out. People all around are living their lives doing all they can to put forth this image of immense strength, ability, worth and accomplishment because they're convinced that our value in this life is based only on the thoughts and opinions of those among whom we walk. And when you spend ...

2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV Sufficient If you're still reading these posts after all the topics and truths that have likely stung a little bit then you probably know that we talk about all of the things that we've gotten wrong quite often within these daily ponderings. And that's because there are plenty of them! We are in every way a very confused and disorganized and disgruntled people. We make far more mistakes than we care to admit. Get far more things wrong than anywhere close to right. But there is one thing that we are absolutely correct about. One thing we have actually understood. One thing we have figured out. And that's that weakness is an insufficiency. It's an insufficiency of strength. It's a failure to be enough in light of whatever situation or circumstance is being considered. It may be a physical incapacity to withstand some weight or pressure being pressed upon us. It might be a mental inability to consider or contemplate things that we've simp...

Psalm 37:24 NIV Life is but a monotony of maniacal missteps taken with an often vigilant refusal to acknowledge them. If we could only see the way God sees, I think we might realize just how silly we look in all of our endless efforts to prove ourselves worthy of His grace. All of these hours and days spent religiously repeating the same routines thinking that righteousness is found only in perfecting our approach to some list of rules and expectations we can oddly enough manage to come close to satisfying. It’s truly amazing the foolish efforts we give to coming up with a plan that flawlessly follows a path we can follow without error. All because we think we can somehow please God by not needing Him. That’s the ultimate danger in religion. It inspires us to lean upon ourselves and our ability to maintain our adherence to some random assortment of expectations held within a list of rules and regulations put in place by those who we assume to be better than us. It’s a mindset set on no...