Genuine Faith
September 16
…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.
1Peter 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.
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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 because it’s the nature of comfort to complain when trouble comes.
For some reason, we don’t really expect to have to suffer for the cause of Christ! And herein lies the problem.
But, 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 takes the hit, 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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