A young man in our congregation asked if this could be read last Sunday morning. He composed it during the week. He’s going through an unbelievably difficult time. We meet often, and I am frequently overcome with the intensity of his struggles right now. I asked him if I could share this with you, and he said I could. I not only appreciate what he had to say, but the fact that he could say it in the context of his spiritual community, his church. The event (the reading and the hearing) says as much about his community as it does about him. What follows is verbatim what he wrote:
Well what is faith? How do we understand it? I believe that faith is being able to continue on with the assumption that there is hope even though everything around you in a worldly sense points to things being hopeless. When all you can see or predict has a likely or potentially negative outcome or an outcome that will continue toward an already downhill turn of events. This is where faith comes in. I look back on my life and I see that these are the times where God has performed the miracles.
A common expression at my work is “to keep doing the same thing but expecting a different result is the definition of insanity”, the insinuation being that you need to change what or how you are doing things and then you will have success. Well let me tell you sometimes having faith has the same definition. You get to the point where you have tried every option and every way of trying to control or manipulate the situation and as a result, with each event, thing continue to go further and further downhill. This is the point where God comes to you and says, “Are you going to let me take over yet?” This isn’t where you give up but where you give in. This is where you say, “Okay God, I can’t handle it anymore, but I know that you can.”
The reason I am saying this is not because I have already gone through a tough time and now everything in my life has changed for the better. I am saying this because everything in my life is not where I want it to be and continues to go further from where I want or expect it to be. The faith part is not saying how great things turned out after things turn for the good, even though all the way through you questioned or mistrusted God or even at times cursed God. I am here to tell you that I have questioned God and even mistrusted God, even though I do know that anything is possible for God. What I am here to say is that in this time of no hope, that all my trust and all my faith is in God, and I do know that things are going to improve. Not because I can see a way out of it, but because I can’t see a way out of it. But I know God can.
What do you need to let God take over in your life?
Cartoonist.
Artist.
Spirituality Coach.
Writer.
Speaker.
Mark Twain made the comment that “faith is believing what you know ain’t so”. More accurately, it’s holding on when everything seems to indicate that there is no hope, no possibility of the situation resolving well. It’s knowing that God can solve anything, and then *acting* on that knowledge.
What this young man is talking about is often called “surrender”. It isn’t giving up; it’s not resignation. It’s finally surrendering to God, allowing God to do His work in your life. It’s when you “let go, and let God”.
The problem I have – and I suspect I’m not alone – is that when I do this, my life often does get better. Then I want to take control again, saying, “Thanks, G., I’ll take over now, I’ll get back to you when I need you”.
There are two problems with this approach: 1) I don’t know how to drive. If I’m in charge of my life, I’m likely to crash; and 2) I always need God. The only thing that changes is whether I realize I need Him.
What do you need to let God take over in your life? I can only answer for myself. For me, I need some sort of complete catastrophe that I can neither avoid nor fix. With anything less, I simply don’t pay attention. There’s a saying, “When you want to get the attention of a mule, you use a two-by-four”. I rarely respond to anything less than a solid whack on the head. I’ve got a very lumpy head…
I’m beginning to understand that the various hardships I’ve endured haven’t been God punishing me for sins, or for being me, or for anything. I’m seeing that it’s His way of reaching out to me in the only way I’ll let Him reach me. I’m hoping that some day I’ll learn to pay attention without needing the two-by-four. I want to learn to listen as well when life is good, as I do when life is a train wreck.
David,
Ask that young man if I can use what he wrote as a lesson for my Sunday School class, would you please.
Baruch, good stuff you wrote.
What do you need to let God take over in your life?
——Jesus said, “If you love me , you will obey what I command.”
I suppose that may raise a hackel or two—but I didn’t say it, I just repeated it.
fishon
Fishon: I’m sure it’s okay. I asked him if I could go public with it and he said yes. It’s public now. Use it. He’ll be thrilled.
thanks, david
One of the things I like about the bible is that there are words in it that can relate to all of us, regardless if we are Christian or not. One of my favourite scriptures fits that perfectly for me.
Hebrews 11
By Faith
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen
My faith is rooted in my choice to see myself as an eternal being that has been created. The thing is though, my existence in this world many times will be fraught with pain and suffering that is completely unavoidable. As an eternal being I do have faith that this aspect is temporary. Who knows why our world works this way, but acceptance of this fact is pivotal in how you make it through. I dont believe God does anything for us in the here and now. I believe it did it in the beginning. Faith is trusting that the system is ok. It becomes a problem when you think someone or something f….. it up.
“Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional”
Thank you, David.
I am certain that what he wrote is going to bring out some very positive discussion.
Some searching of the heart will be brought to the forefront.
Tell the young man thank you.
jerry
But he had t his,
‘This is where faith comes in. I look back on my life and I see that these are the times where God has performed the miracles.’
I don’t have any miracles to look back on. I now see hope as my enemy because it leads to too much disappointment and makes me not give up when I should give up. Hope is the reason I’m sent into a state of shock when someone (or life) slaps me in the face. Hope is the reason I’m still alive when I would rather not be. I see hope as my worse fault.
But maybe I’m not normal – I dunno.
Archie Bunker once said “It ain’t supposed to make sense. It’s faith! Faush is something that you believe that nobody in his right mind would believe!” I much prefer A.W. Tozer’s definition, though: “Faith is the gaze of a soul upon a living God”, seeing it, myself, as a commodity He produces within us, rather than one we, ourselves, create.
If I may speak to Tiggy, let me note that we are told in Romans that “hope” is one way by which we are saved, in Hebrews that it is “an anchor for the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.” The way it all speaks to me is in the sense that most of us have this all wrong. We grunt and strain to find the faith that so many preach as necessary to catch God’s attention, but, in truth, we approach God with hope. As God moves upon our hope in accordance with His wisdom, we gain faith and stand upon that which He has proven unto us along the way. Jesus, Himself, on that night of the last supper, told His disciples that He spoke to them of such things as a Trinity, a resurrection, and re-union on our part with the Godhead made possible through that which He was about to suffer and conquer, so that “when it happened” they might believe.
So I see it, any way. Peace to all…..
I think situations improve sometimes because we stop working on them and decide to try to relax and accept things as they are. Because of our new attitude, we feel better and we act differently. These changes in us can have a postivie effect on the situation.
This post spoke so deeply to me. This is exactly where I’m at right now. Thank you for sharing (and please thank the original author for sharing his heart).
will do peter.
That’s Beautiful! And wise.
Fishion – just wondering….in a nutshell….what did Jesus command?
I didn’t think I’d read more than one post here, but I’m glad I did.
Ruth,
It there for all to read.
fishon
Awwwww fishon….I wanted the easy way out.
I have been thinking about this lately and that is why I asked. It seems to me that the only thing he asked us to do is to love one another the way he loved us….which is putting us before him and laying his life down for us.
So I’m wondering what you mean by that in response to “what you need to let God take over in your life”?
Ruth,
Awwwww Ruth, the hard way is the best way.
#1. The Ethiopian Eunuch was reading Isa. 53, when Philip came along. He was studying and trying to search things out for himself. Then he asked a very specific question to something he didn’t understand. Then Philip gave him answers. That is a good model for teaching and learning.
#2. I don’t know if you are serious or not?
#3. If I give you specifics, it will start a big debate with others——-and frankly, I ain’t in the mood. ——–So if you are serious and want to discuss what I menat: go to revfish.k7@gmail.com
I will give you one to think about, however: Read Matthew 28:18-20
fishon
Yes I am serious and I agree we don’t want a big debate but a real discussion so I will email you after this.
As I said I have been thinking about this in terms of loving others and Jesus comandments.
Then Barb posted this at http://retrofited.blogspot.com/2010/01/love-and-its-sacrifice.html which really spoke to me about it.
Sometimes we get so bogged down with what we are suposed to do as a Christian and really it comes down to loving our brother as Jesus loved us and as you pointed out in Matthew 28 to tell someone about it.
Well, I’d just like to say that if I were blessed enough to live in your part of the world, I would be hot footing it to your church like one posessed! The fact that one of your congregation a) was able to articulate such faith and doubt so eloquently; b) felt that he could ask you to share it in a Sunday service and c) that you did so – speaks wonders to me about what your community is about. May God continue to strengthen and encourage you as you lead your church closer to His heart.
thanks scotty on behalf of the church.