The deeper I get into my faith, the more I realize the disparity between Christ’s way and the world’s.  I can empathize with those seekers or unbelievers who have such trouble understanding our faith when looking at it from the outside. It sure does seem counterintuitive in many ways. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, “The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.”  I often wonder how things got so upside down and backwards. Did we “fall” harder than we could have ever imagined, or is this just a consequence of being human? Perhaps, it is one in the same.

Love.   Power.   Money. are three signficant catalysts in our world. They get mashed together all the time to create all sorts of heartache.  These three areas are also three ways that the Christian life differs from the secular life.

Love.

The world says find someone who makes you feel good, fulfills you, “completes you.” Don’t bother with people who disagree with you, you don’t need them in your life anyway.  Get someone who will do for you….this is love.

The Bible says, in Matthew 5:44: “love your enemies….do good to those who persecute you.”   Submit to others, sacrifice, be a servant, others, others…this is love.

Power.

The world says take, or someone will beat you to it. Do what you have to do to get a head. The first are the best and you better  be the best.  Become number one…do what needs to be done to make it happen. Take no prisoners…this is power

Bible says, in 2 Corinthians 12:10 …”I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” In suffering, in weakness, strength comes from God not ourselves…when we surrender our lives, we find power through Christ….this is power.

Money.

The world says work harder. Get more. Spend more…more. More. MORE. You can never have enough…you need stuff to be someone. To be happy, I must have more stuff.

The Bible says, give your money away to find contentment and blessing in Malachi 3.  First give, then receive from God. This is the way to contentment and joy.

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. ²⁷ Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. ²⁸ God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. ²⁹ As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God ( 1 Corinthians).

When we look at our Christian life and find it to be the opposite of what seems logical or natural, there is a good reason for it. God gets the glory. When we decide to life by faith and do life as the Bible teaches, and find joy in suffering, blessing through giving, and love in serving….God gets the glory for it. And,  I’m alright with that.

Ephesians 6 is a familiar passage.  “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” (Ephesians 6: 10-11).  It’s common place to see small children running from their kids program with a shield of faith and a belt of truth in decorated paper plates and construction paper. Cute, right? There is nothing wrong with teaching biblical truths to children at a level they can grasp.

BUT….

The armour described in Ephesians 6 is for a serious battle.  A real battle.  Yet, an invisible one. 

Could it be that many are woefully unprepared to fight?  In a physical war, we prepare troops by training and give them powerful weapons and intelligence.  They all have specific jobs and work together to keep each other safe.  And still tragedy  strikes. 

What about this invisible battle with eternal consequences?  Are we trained, skilled in our weaponry, and working together to secure our safety, listening to our Intelligence, and working under the authority of the Almighty?

Suit up.

In Mark 5, Jesus heals in response to faith. Please excuse my paraphrase as I highlight the dialogue.

Remember that Jarius’s little girl is dying and he approaches Jesus asking him to heal her. And while they are on their way a woman who had been suffering for 12 years went through the crowd where she did not belong and wanted to touch Jesus’ robe so that she would be healed.  She said, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”  After she touched him, Jesus said, “Who touched my robe?”  The disciples thought it was a crazy question for anyone to ask since there were people all around him: “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”  Jesus replied to the woman after she confessed, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.” Then the messenger from Jairus’s house came and said that the girl had died,  but  Jesus’s repsonse to Jarius  “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”

This woman was on the fringes. An outcast and suffering for years and years. Certainly, she’d given up on her condition ever leaving her on natural terms.  I love that she pressed into the crowd and just wanted the fringe of Christ’s garment. She understood that it would be enough. What faith.  What acknowledgement of the power of Christ. By faith, she was healed from such a chronic impossible existence.

Then there is Jarius.  Asking for a miracle.  And asking Christ to rescue his daughter quickly.  It seemed that Jesus was too late.  But, Christ replied “have faith” and the girl lived again.

The degree of healing we  are requesting, how impossible it seems, and the duration of our suffering is irrelevant to Christ’s ability to heal.  Jesus said, “Just have faith.”  Are we willing to  reach for the fringes of his robe?  

You’ve probably read this story before…

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.  Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. ⁴⁰But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details!  There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10: 38-42 NLT

I have always been intrigued by this story because I’m a Martha. I feel helpless and unimportant if I’m not busy doing, going, serving.  I would have complained as Martha did. In fact, I’m almost certain I have.  I identify with her and always felt  sympathy for her when Jesus sets her straight. 

In this story, Mary’s got it right.  She’s sitting at the feet of Jesus.  Spending time and soaking in whatever she can from being in His presence.  Letting  the little things go and concentrating on Christ. 

Jesus, make this Martha…a Mary. Teach me to sit at your feet and be focused on the one thing that is worthy of my concern. 

Any other Marthas out there?    Join me in becoming a Mary.

-Insights from my life….just another pastor’s wife.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.  Genesis 3:7

Read Genesis 3.  Adam and Eve sinned and hid as do we.

Something happened in that garden that has changed who were are. We hide. We’re ashamed of who we are and what we’ve done, so we grab whatever is most convenient and hide behind it.

The solution to our fig leaves is volunerability.

I hid behind several things, and they have been slowly stripped away…

I had a job..then my husband and I felt God calling us to a new ministry.

I had a house…gone with the move.

I had a ministry full of people I loved…and I think they loved me too.  Back to the beginning we go.

I had a car…it wouldn’t pass inspection in PA …so we decided to sell it…then it broke again. junk.

I had a dog…she  became paralyzed in her back end.  Now God and I had a conversation about that one. I  know I can be a slow learner, but my dog too.  That seemed  a bit too far.  We still have her and love her, but she’s not the same.

Everything that I could rely on was being removed.  Until  it  was me, my husband, and my Jesus.

Finally, I found that all I ever needed was there all along after the fig leaves were  pulled back.

I was volunerable before the Lord.

-Insights from the Life of Just Another Pastor’s Wife.

Faith    

Hebrew 11: 1  Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Believe.   Trust.   Don’t be Anxious.   Pray.   Have Faith.

Sounds easy.  Seems easy.

It’s not easy.      

I have faith.  I believe in Jesus as my Savior and Lord, and I’ve never even seen him. Think about that.

Faith is a crazy idea.  In nothing else do I put my trust without testing the waters, observing, and feeling it out.  With God, things are different.  My spirit is willing, but my flesh is so frail.  My spirit says “Jump….He’s got you.”  My flesh says….”You’re Crazy! Hold tight to what you have.”

I get consumed by what I see.  It’s easier to follow what’s laid out in front of me. I have monetary needs, parental advice,  “pastoral”  advice, friends’ advice, personal ambition….all of which is tangible and sound, yet anchored in the visible, safe and logical.

I want faith. Real faith. I want to be available to God with confidence and assurance. I want to believe without sight.

 -Insights from the life of just another pastor’s wife.