"Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.
Let all that you do be done with charity"
1Corinthians 16:13-14
I have this on my desk at work. My wife gave it to me as a gift while I was spending a few days in the hospital. That was May 2008. Since that time, day in and day out, it has grown into a true challenge to me. I've discovered that to stand fast in the faith, is to be humble. This is a lesson I had to learn over and over again. A lesson I'm still learning.
To serve God, to complete what he has started in me many years ago, I had to learn what being humble really means. Not "dictionary" definition, but to serve my utmost for His Highest. At times we serve and get too comfortable, like learning to ride a bike. We get to the point of over confidence, and start riding with no hands on the bars. You're bound to lose control and fall. Serving God at times appeared to me to be too easy (look God, no hands...) and then I've slammed into a wall and had to recover with an embarrassed look, saying "err...right...sorry...got it" as I've dusted myself off and tend to the torn clothes and bandages.
In the bible there are many examples to follow of being humble. To bow my head in the thanksgiving of gifts that has been bestowed to or on me comes naturally. I was raise to say thank you when I was given anything. For me to truly be humble, to give thanks and accept what God has given me as a talent, or an objective to accomplish, at times takes the shoving and pushing of the Holy Spirit. I do not always recognize the gifts sent to me. Sometimes the gifts are in my failures. I don't "fail" well. I always fight to make failure not an option, yet God gives me failure time and again to humble me. As I fight with it, I have to keep my eyes towards God and accept that this failure was because I took something of His, and try to make it mine. I stand fast with my faith, because I have to admit that I did not do God's will. I got to a point of what the Lord wanted me to do and took my hands off of the handlebars, still wanting God to watch me and approve. Of course He is watching me, who do you think knocked me off my bike? God did not approve.
I stand in my faith, waiting to tell anyone who wants to listen how great and merciful God is. I will tell time and time again of the sacrifices that God has made for us. From Genesis to the Crucifixion, to the works and deaths of the Disciples. That comes easy to me because I believe in the Bible as the absolute truth. Where I need to be brave and strong is when I... myself... am challenge. When I look up to the Heavens, or down at my feet with a bowed head and say, "but I thought that this was what you wanted Lord...", I get discouraged. I become fearful of God as a child does when he or she disappoints their parents. In the past I would retreat and not even talk to God. Not even try to look as to why I failed Him. I would just acknowledge the failure and say to God, "guess I'm not worthy to serve You, Lord..."
Today I am now strong, because God wants me to ask why. I am brave because I am worthy to serve Him. He tells me that I am. He explains in His way that He makes me strong so that I can give testimony to others about coming to God, accepting Jesus, and living forever because of that acceptance. I am humbled, because I know that others listen to me. I have seen them come to the altar, to be saved, or have the Spirit stirred in them. I am truly humbled, because my faith has been challenged by these people.
I serve God in many different ways, all of them His. I have to remember, it's not my way. He has used me as an instrument without me being aware of it. In my world, my work has me in contact with all different types of people of all walks of life. I have to remember that his mission to me is to show all, through my actions, not just words, that He is there for them. And I need to do it through charity (love), not through legalistic actions, as I learned once again this week. Charity is what I do know. God's will for law, which is another's gift, but not mine. Another lesson through failure I was given this week. Praise be to You Almighty Father.
Please click on this link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbnKW1gHRzE
It's a video of the song Stay Strong, by the Newsboys.
May you find peace in our Savior, Lord Jesus Christ.
