Can we really weather the storms of life? The ones that seem to come out of nowhere and overwhelm us with fear, and anxiety. Especially when we look around us and see a world that is out of control, which only causes us to feel more helpless. What can we do? I have a childhood memory that portrays the principle, that answers this question. I was about 10 years old. My father and I had gone out fishing on his boat. It was a beautiful day on the bay and we had ventured out pretty far. But before long the sky became cloudy and dark, very quickly. My Dad said "reel it in boy, a storm is coming, we need to hurry". He sits in the back of the boat with his hand on the throttle and guns the motor at full speed. I scan the horizon and the only land I see is in the direction we are headed, and it looks very far away. With every minute the sky gets darker, the winds get stronger, and the waves get bigger. I'm getting scared now because the shoreline is still very far away and the boat was too small to navigate waves that big, That's when it happened. The rain came down hard, so hard that now you could not even see the shoreline. I'm in the front of the boat holding onto the sides with every wave that picks us up and slams us down. The more I look for the shoreline, the more worried and frightened I become. I can't see it anywhere, all I can see is the storm. There is only one reassuring sight, the face of my father. Looking straight into the storm, rain beating on his head and running down his face, shirt stuck to his skin. Watching the storm brought fear, watching my father brought calm. I'll never forget how just by keeping my eyes on my father, I knew he would not let anything bad happen to me. God wants us to do the same. He wants us to focus our eyes on Him
As a Christian, what should our response to trials and tribulations be? Troubles that are no fault of our own. Should we draw closer to God, pray for strength, courage, and guidance, or question our belief in Him for allowing this to happen to us?
All too often we feel that God has abandoned us and we begin to question our faith. We cry out "Why?? why would you let this happen to me God, it's not fair". This creates an open door for the enemy's assault. Satan bombards our minds with negative thoughts, causing us to obsess over the problem and in finding a way out, until it drowns out everything else. Leaving us unable to be social with family and friends, and unable to be productive in our work. Quickly falling into a pit of despair, of complaining, depression, anger, and just wanting to give up. To respond properly we must first understand that trials and pressure are necessary for us to grow and mature in our faith. Faith is like gold that is revealed by the test of fire. We desire to grow in our faith more than anything, and this is part of the process. We are to count it all as joy when we fall into trials. I don't mean that we should put on a superficial smile and pretend to be happy, while inside we are in misery. The joy is in knowing that if we persevere, stand firm in our belief, focus on God and His word. We will endure, grow up as believers, and mature in our faith. God has not abandoned us, and will give us the strength to get through it. Pressure does two things. It reveals character, and it produces character. We may think our faith is strong only to realize it isn't as we thought. Our faith, being purified by trials, produces a staying power that enables us to live under pressure. Trials will come and there is nothing we can do to avoid them. We can not speed up the process that God is using to produce endurance in each one of us, but if trusted, He will bring us to maturity in Christ. Isn't this the ultimate goal after all. I believe that God desires for every father to courageously step up and do whatever it takes to be involved in the lives of his children. But more than just being there or providing for them, he’s to walk with them through their lives and be a visual representation of the character of God, their father in heaven.
A father should love his children and seek to win their hearts. He should protect them, discipline them and teach them about God. He should model how to walk with integrity and treat others with respect and should call out his children to become responsible men and women who live their lives for what matters in eternity. Some men will hear this and mock it or ignore it. But I tell you that as a father, you are accountable to God for the position of influence he has given you. You can’t fall asleep at the wheel only to wake up one day and realize that your job or your hobbies have no eternal value but the souls of your children do. Some men will hear this and agree with it but have no resolve to live it out. lnstead, they will live for themselves and waste the opportunity to leave a godly legacy for the next generation. But there are some men who, regardless of the mistakes we’ve made in the past, regardless of what our fathers did not do for us, will give the strength of our arms and the rest of our days to loving God with all that we are and to teach our children to do the same, and, whenever possible, to love and mentor others who have no father in their lives but who desperately need help and direction. I am inviting any man whose heart is willing and courageous to join me in this resolution. In my home, the decision has already been made. The Resolution: I do solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for myself, my wife, and my children. •I WILL love them, protect them, serve them, and teach them the Word of God as the spiritual leader of my home. •I WILL be faithful to my wife, to love and honor her, and be willing to lay down my life for her as Jesus Christ did for me. •I WILL bless my children and teach them to love God with all of their hearts, all of their minds, and all of their strength. •I WILL train them to honor authority and live responsibly. •I WILL confront evil, pursue justice, and love mercy. •I WILL pray for others and treat them with kindness, respect, and compassion. •I WILL work diligently to provide for the needs of my family. •I WILL forgive those who have wronged me and reconcile with those I have wronged. •I WILL learn from my mistakes, repent of my sins, and walk with integrity as a man answerable to God. •I WILL seek to honor God, be faithful to His church, obey His Word, and do His will. •I WILL courageously work with the strength God provides to fulfill this resolution for the rest of my life and for His glory. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. – Joshua 24:15 Over half of the world's population struggles with chronic anxiety. I believe God knows that we are inclined to be fearful. That's why there are hundreds of verses in scripture that tell us "Do not be afraid". In Matthew 6 , Jesus is speaking, and it's as if He knows how fragile we can be in our anxiety. He uses the kindest of languages and the gentlest of images when He says " Look at the birds of the air and the flowers of the field and see how they are provided for and cared for, and aren't you worth so much more than birds and flowers". Even the sparrow knows. credit: Jason Gray |
AuthorBrad Ferrone - artist / painter ArchivesCategories |