Genuine
Faith
…though now for a little while you
may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come
so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than
gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in
praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1 Peter 1:6, 7
“Have you ever noticed that the
frequency and degree of our trials are usually in direct proportion
to the passion with which we serve Jesus?” Don asked Jennifer,
looking at the flat tire that was about to make he and his co-worker
late for a business engagement.
“You do seem to be experiencing a
rash of negative events lately,” came Jennifer’s wry response.
“It would make most people want to rethink why they’re doing what
they’re doing,” she added, laughing.
Rolling up his sleeves, Don began the
work of removing and replacing the flat. Twenty minutes and a
sweat-soaked dress shirt later, Don wiped his hands on the rag
Jennifer handed him.
“You do seem to attract a lot of the
enemy’s attention these days,” she said, with a touch of mock
suspicion.
“Well…adversity or not,” Don
said, “I’m gonna keep pluggin’ away.”
Jennifer smiled as they climbed back
into the car. There had been no need for Don to tell her that. She
knew he would always keep plugging away for Jesus! From the day she
had begun working with Don he had exhibited as genuine a faith as
anyone she’d ever met.
†
Most, if not all Christians, admire the
men and women throughout scripture who have suffered for their faith.
We secretly pray we will meet our adversity as well as they did, yet,
when besieged by several unpleasant events in a short period of time,
we sometimes begin to whine. It’s the nature of comfort to complain
when trouble comes.
For some reason, we don’t really
expect to suffer for the cause of Christ! Herein lies the problem. If
we take Jesus at His word, expecting that we will have problems, we
can learn to roll with the punches. Expecting anything else is
foolishness, and an invitation for additional grief. Genuine faith
faces the fact there will be trouble, and acts accordingly.
Prayer
“Lord Jesus, help me
take things in stride today, accepting life as it comes. Give me a
passion to do Your will! Amen.”
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