Embrace the chaos. That is what I was telling myself this morning as I drove to church for the first day of Vacation Bible School, and I found myself repeating it thoughout the day. 130 kids were storming across Believers Fellowship today, and I got to lead them all in playing some super-fun games. This year's theme for VBS is Kingdom of the Sun, a Prayer Safari, and even as the kids are learning about prayer, I have learned so much about it myself in helping to prepare for this week's VBS. I have seen God change my perspective through prayer from one of business and anxiety to one that is willing to embrace the chaos of leading 130 kids in games and to be excited about having fun with them.
Over the past week as I have been helping get our house ready to sell and assisting in turning BF into the Serengeti, I have also had more time to think about living a life of stepping on to liquid, a life of faith. I began by thinking about faith itself--what is faith? Sadly, in today's society it has become very ambiguous and almost mystical. People talk a lot about "having faith," but they usually fail to mention the object of that faith. If they do, it's usually have a little faith in yourself or just trust the system.
In truth, faith's object is its most important element. Your faith can only be as strong as what or whom your are placing your faith in. That is where the news gets good for Christians. Our faith is not placed in science. It is not resting on a political party, nor in the "goodness" of man. Our faith rests in God himself, and that is a only secure place for it to be. We have faith in the "indescribable, uncontainable" God that created the universe and knows the stars by name.
Now that we've established where our faith lies, how do we show this faith? We show it by taking God at his word. In a Bible study at my house on Monday nights, we have been studying the life of Elijah, and he show us what taking God at his word looks like. He believed God, and God always provided for him in miraculous ways. God said he would withhold rain, Elijah believed. God told him he would provide for him at the Brook Cherith, Elijah went there. God commanded Elijah to go live with a widow who would provide for him, he obeyed, and God provided. Imagine the incredible things that could happen if we took God at his word like Elijah did.
Faith is only as strong as its object, and when we step onto liquid and live by faith in the God's word, then we are standing on a rock. Our strength should be strengthened because God is faithful, and he will do what he says.
I hope all this has encouraged you as much as it has encouraged me. If you want to read more about Elijah, check out 1 Kings 17-18. If you want to check out another great blog, visit Evan Winslow's site.
"With God we shall do valiantly;it is he who will tread down our foes."
-Psalm 108:13
Over the past week as I have been helping get our house ready to sell and assisting in turning BF into the Serengeti, I have also had more time to think about living a life of stepping on to liquid, a life of faith. I began by thinking about faith itself--what is faith? Sadly, in today's society it has become very ambiguous and almost mystical. People talk a lot about "having faith," but they usually fail to mention the object of that faith. If they do, it's usually have a little faith in yourself or just trust the system.
In truth, faith's object is its most important element. Your faith can only be as strong as what or whom your are placing your faith in. That is where the news gets good for Christians. Our faith is not placed in science. It is not resting on a political party, nor in the "goodness" of man. Our faith rests in God himself, and that is a only secure place for it to be. We have faith in the "indescribable, uncontainable" God that created the universe and knows the stars by name.
Now that we've established where our faith lies, how do we show this faith? We show it by taking God at his word. In a Bible study at my house on Monday nights, we have been studying the life of Elijah, and he show us what taking God at his word looks like. He believed God, and God always provided for him in miraculous ways. God said he would withhold rain, Elijah believed. God told him he would provide for him at the Brook Cherith, Elijah went there. God commanded Elijah to go live with a widow who would provide for him, he obeyed, and God provided. Imagine the incredible things that could happen if we took God at his word like Elijah did.
Faith is only as strong as its object, and when we step onto liquid and live by faith in the God's word, then we are standing on a rock. Our strength should be strengthened because God is faithful, and he will do what he says.
I hope all this has encouraged you as much as it has encouraged me. If you want to read more about Elijah, check out 1 Kings 17-18. If you want to check out another great blog, visit Evan Winslow's site.
"With God we shall do valiantly;it is he who will tread down our foes."
-Psalm 108:13
posted by Ben Blakey at 8:42 PM
2 Comments:
I appreciated your reminder that faith is only as valuable as the object of that faith. Isaiah 26:4 says, "Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock."
Embrace the chaos
Post a Comment
<< Home