Comments on: Frustrations and Christian Faith http://goodword.pazzoom.com/2007/11/04/frustrations-and-christian-faith/ thoughts on life, truth, and reality from a Christian perspective Sun, 07 Sep 2008 22:05:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: jim http://goodword.pazzoom.com/2007/11/04/frustrations-and-christian-faith/#comment-1365 jim Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:24:10 +0000 http://goodword.pazzoom.com/2007/11/04/frustrations-and-christian-faith/#comment-1365 Thanks for sharing that excellent testimony to God's kindness and mercy in the face of daily struggle. Yes, nothing can be quite so challenging, it seems, as conflict with another human being. What has helped me most is realize two things: 1. I am just like the person who is annoying or opposing me. 2. God is always in complete control. When I say that I'm just like the person who bothers or provokes me the most, I don’t mean that our personalities are just alike, or that we have the same spiritual destiny. Christ in me makes my life different than the life I had without Him. But in my own self, in my basic human nature, I am just like any other human on the planet. I want comfort, happiness, and my own way. Paul that that in his flesh was no good thing. Thankfully, the Lord is not surprised or hindered by my human weaknesses or lack of faith. Your reference to Peter's denial of Christ is right on target. The Lord Jesus already knew how the night would go, and how things must go, in order for Him to be crucified for our sins. He tried to soften the blow to the disciples by telling them how they would behave, and what would come after all the bad stuff. Even in our foolishness and weaknesses as Christian men and women, we glorify God if Christ is truly in us. The unsaved world is always watching. They do not expect us to be perfect, but they do want to see how we handle the good and the bad, the give and take of life. When we struggle against our own desires and keep pressing ahead, even in the face of momentary setbacks, we show a character that is not seen among those who have no hope in Christ. We show that we are not the source of our strength or faith. We show the people around us that there is Someone else Present, walking around in the furnace with us. How I hate the fiery furnace of testing and the overflowing waters of distress and impossible odds! But how I so appreciate the kindness of my Lord to remain with me as I determine to remain with Him, no matter what. I may fail to be God's most perfect witness. But I can testify to His love and mercies, His divine willingness to forgive and make right again. God is faithful, Paul writes again and again, to see us through everything we must face in this life. In Him we always win. Jim Thanks for sharing that excellent testimony to God’s kindness and mercy in the face of daily struggle.

Yes, nothing can be quite so challenging, it seems, as conflict with another human being. What has helped me most is realize two things:

1. I am just like the person who is annoying or opposing me.

2. God is always in complete control.

When I say that I’m just like the person who bothers or provokes me the most, I don’t mean that our personalities are just alike, or that we have the same spiritual destiny. Christ in me makes my life different than the life I had without Him. But in my own self, in my basic human nature, I am just like any other human on the planet. I want comfort, happiness, and my own way. Paul that that in his flesh was no good thing.

Thankfully, the Lord is not surprised or hindered by my human weaknesses or lack of faith. Your reference to Peter’s denial of Christ is right on target. The Lord Jesus already knew how the night would go, and how things must go, in order for Him to be crucified for our sins. He tried to soften the blow to the disciples by telling them how they would behave, and what would come after all the bad stuff.

Even in our foolishness and weaknesses as Christian men and women, we glorify God if Christ is truly in us. The unsaved world is always watching. They do not expect us to be perfect, but they do want to see how we handle the good and the bad, the give and take of life. When we struggle against our own desires and keep pressing ahead, even in the face of momentary setbacks, we show a character that is not seen among those who have no hope in Christ. We show that we are not the source of our strength or faith. We show the people around us that there is Someone else Present, walking around in the furnace with us.

How I hate the fiery furnace of testing and the overflowing waters of distress and impossible odds! But how I so appreciate the kindness of my Lord to remain with me as I determine to remain with Him, no matter what. I may fail to be God’s most perfect witness. But I can testify to His love and mercies, His divine willingness to forgive and make right again. God is faithful, Paul writes again and again, to see us through everything we must face in this life. In Him we always win.

Jim

]]> By: Cheri http://goodword.pazzoom.com/2007/11/04/frustrations-and-christian-faith/#comment-1364 Cheri Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:35:49 +0000 http://goodword.pazzoom.com/2007/11/04/frustrations-and-christian-faith/#comment-1364 Thank you for your comments. Seemed to hit the nail on the head today. I am working with a difficult situation at work and direct conflict with a un-saved person who sometimes I think is evil to the bone. Most days I pray for wisdom and witnessing for Christ. I pray for God's love for this person and then most days I feel defeated by the end of the day with anger and frustration towards this situation. You reminded me of faith or sometimes what I perceive as a lack of it on those hard days. My impatience for justice, when I know God has His time for everything. I do realize that in these times it makes me cleave to Him and meditate sometimes moment by moment on Him. But I also understand Peter's statement Lord I would never deny you! I fall into the secular patterned response to a harsh work enviroment. Oh, the wretched person I can be. But thanks be to our Lord in heaven, His mercies are new every morning! Thank you for your honest remarks, encouraging and reminding all of us the spiritual battle in this world, but we are more than conquerers in Christ Jesus. Amen and amen. Thank you for your comments. Seemed to hit the nail on the head today. I am working with a difficult situation at work and direct conflict with a un-saved person who sometimes I think is evil to the bone. Most days I pray for wisdom and witnessing for Christ. I pray for God’s love for this person and then most days I feel defeated by the end of the day with anger and frustration towards this situation. You reminded me of faith or sometimes what I perceive as a lack of it on those hard days. My impatience for justice, when I know God has His time for everything. I do realize that in these times it makes me cleave to Him and meditate sometimes moment by moment on Him.
But I also understand Peter’s statement Lord I would never deny you! I fall into the secular patterned response to a harsh work enviroment. Oh, the wretched person I can be. But thanks be to our Lord in heaven, His mercies are new every morning!
Thank you for your honest remarks, encouraging and reminding all of us the spiritual battle in this world, but we are more than conquerers in Christ Jesus.
Amen and amen.

]]>