The Greater Reward Of Faith
A. 1 Pet. 5:10, But may the God of all grace, who called
us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after
you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and
settle you.
Some body once said, The principle part of faith is patience.
Our first reaction might be to
disagree and say that trust is the principle part of faith. But
when You read the Bible a lot you realize
that just might be true.
(2) Every example of faith in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews
is an instance of someone whose trust in God made him or her willing
to work and to wait and to endure hardship. Because it has confidence
in God, real faith does not give up. It will hold a steady course
for a long, long time. Ever wonder why we grow impatient and give
up?
a. Maybe its because we have unrealistic expectations of
life. We imagine that
the good life is one without any significant difficulty, hardships.
So we hurry as quickly as
possible through the times of struggle and hardship. We take for
granted that a person should retire as soon as possible.
We are eager to get past our obstacles and reap the rewards of
our work.
(1) But if we put more emphasis on our destination. We end up
not really appreciating the
journey itself. After all, isnt half the fun in getting
there? The most glorious moments in
your life are not the so?called days of success, but rather those
days when out of dejection
and despair you rise to the challenges of life, and the promise
of future
accomplishments. Thats what makes real spiritual growth
happen in your life.
(2) We often think that God will remove all obstacles instantly
and the patho of obedience will be both easy and pleasant. The
truth is, that the journey toward God often takes us through canyons
of darkness and difficulty. And for new Christians, it is often
true that things appear to get worse before they begin to get
better.
b. Yes, it is hard to keep from getting impatient. But here is
where faith comes in. The greater reward of faith is its ability
to bear a heavy burden and still keep going.
What most of us need to hear every day is what the Hebrew writer
said to his doubtful, discouraged Christians of the first century
in Heb. 10:36, You have need of endurance, so that after
you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.
(3) Acts 20:32.
Spur - 01/26/03 pm
|