Thursday, May 3, 2012

Experiences Make Faith Stronger

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith -- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire -- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. -- 1 Peter 1:6-7

There are few people around who don’t wish they could somehow go back and wipe out at least part of their past. We’ve all done something we wish we hadn’t. We’ve all done things we don’t want others to know.

And we’ve all felt the weight of judgment on our shoulders. Someone makes an offhand comment about not knowing anyone who has ever done what we’ve done or been where we’ve been. And we sit there silently, afraid to speak and yet wanting to shock their condescending hearts into somehow understanding that real people, good people, make mistakes.

A dear friend recently faced just such a situation. She did something more than 20 years ago. She is a different person now. No one would ever know. But she knows. And she wonders if her silence just reinforces that secret culture that makes Christians think we’re somehow better than we really are.

Because we are all sinners. And sin is sin, no matter how much we’d like to categorize it as “my sin isn’t as bad as someone else’s sin.” But it is.

So does silence mean that we’re saying it’s okay to prejudge? Does keeping secrets make abuse okay? We look around and we see perfect people because their brokenness is hidden. They fear condemnation and rejection. We all do. Because isn’t that what happens when people see our scars?

Except we wouldn’t be the people we are today without the pasts we try so hard to hide. All those mistakes, all those heartaches, work together to turn us into the people we are today. How could we ever appreciate the good, the true, the Holy, without first having experienced the bad, the lies, the darkness?

The fire that comes from trials is what God uses to refine us, to make us stronger and to draw us closer to Him. Just as fire heats gold, sending its impurities to the top, so does God sift us, separating the good from the flawed. It is a painful process but the end result is someone who is of far more use to God than we were before.

So wear your scars without shame. Jesus paid your debt and stands by your side. You have been refined by fire and you are more precious to God than gold.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

What Has God Taught You Today?

These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold -- and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. -- 1 Peter 1:7

Some days you just wish God wouldn’t feel the need to test you. Some days you’d just like things to go smooth and easy. Some days you just want to make it through because you know tomorrow has just got to be a better day.

Probably everyone knows what I’m talking about. We’ve all had days like that. I one time sat for hours in a hot car with two dogs in the back seat because my car decided to die on the wrong side of the interstate. No one could find me in rush hour. Go figure. That’s a day I’d rather not ever repeat. But, you know, I have a lot more sympathy for people who are having car trouble now. I may not stop and help strangers but I do try to always say a prayer for them. I didn’t do that before.

A great many people have no doubt learned a few things during this economic downturn our country continues, to endure. Some have learned that hard-working people can’t always find a job. They’ve learned that honest and decent people sometimes lose their homes, cars and dignity through no fault of their own. They’ve learned that downward spirals can happen to anyone. Maybe they’ll remember to have empathy, compassion and lend a helping hand when they get on their financial feet again.

That’s the thing about lessons from God. He always uses the bad and the ugly to turn us into better people. God can turn even the worst things into good, if we’ll only let Him. No. God doesn’t want bad to happen to us. But He does sometimes allow it. Our promise is that we’ll never suffer anything we can’t endure with His help.

It’s something I’ve really thought about recently as a friend recovers from a serious motorcycle accident. God’s hand is everywhere during this awful time, bringing blessings and healing from something that could have been so much worse. His Presence has carried us through and will, without a doubt, continue to do so during her long recovery.

Peter tells us that our faith is more precious to God than gold. We are more precious to God. He wants us to know how much He loves us. God wants us to depend on Him, to learn from Him, to grow in faith and inner strength.

So what has God taught you recently? It kind of puts a different perspective on hard days and tough times, doesn’t it?