I'll never forget the day I realized the true difference between faith and worry. You see, I used to claim worry as a proud badge I wore. Like I had earned it somehow as an honerary scout of sorts. You know... like if you wanted someone to stand alongside you... someone you could tell your trouble to, and they would pray about it with you, then also worry with you while waiting on God to fix it. Well, that was me. I considered myself a trusted worry sort. Like I thought it was part if the package of faith. That is, until... I realized that worry was not what God is looking for as His children grow up. As a matter of fact, James, the brother of Jesus wrote this... If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8 NKJV That's exactly how I felt, even wearing my badge proudly. For as I did my duty of doubting (that's what worry really is) I found myself tossing and turning in rocking boat, after rocking boat... tossed about on many a sea. And I was so glad the day I got to trade in my badge and begin to learn more about the faith God chose to show me. It was a normal Sunday in church many years ago. I was listening to my pastor speak when he stopped and told us, the whole congregation... to all stand up... right there in the middle of his message. So we did. Then he instructed us to turn full body to face the right side of the room... I remember it vividly because in that particular church there were these pretty stained glass windows. And my friend and pastor said, "The wall you are looking at represents your faith." Then he instructed us to turn completely around to face the opposite wall... the left side of the room. So now we were turned with our backs to the stained glass windows. (not that stained glass has anything to do with faith... but it does help the picture) The pastor then said, "This wall represents worry." And that was the end of his instruction. So he told us all to sit down. Simple. But he wasn't quite done with the lesson. As he continued to teach he made it very plain that at no time... standing in that church, nor in any circumstance of life are we able to face faith with worry in view... nor face worry, with faith in view. He wanted us to know, and to see, that we cannot depend upon faith... we cannot place our faith in God, and worry at the same time. And if we tried to rationalize that we can somehow do so, using our peripheral vision or with a quick turning back and forth... well then, we are going to make ourselves mighty sick... like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. And that is certainly NOT how God desires His children to think, nor to live life. God prefers we live joyfully, at peace, in contentment, and reliant upon Him for all good things. God wants us to know that we are only able to choose one option at a time. Will it be FAITH? or Will it be WORRY? For one will always negate the other. In these particular verses James encourages us to ask for wisdom... so let us not turn around and worry, nor doubt whether God will provide. Let us not turn back and forth in our own reasoning, trying to figure out how God will provide. If that's our tactic, why even ask Him in the first place? God is more than happy when we turn to Him... desiring to provide liberally. It's the turning away, that causes His heart to ache... that stops His action, His hand of provision because we have taken the privilege from Him. Let us rather, trust Him fully... faithfullly, without doubt, without worry. Word of God train me today... To humbly ask You, Lord, for wisdom... and believe, without doubt that I will receive. To stubbornly keep my back to the wall of worry and stay single-minded in faithful dependance on You.
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January 2019
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