What an unusual time for all of us right now!
I wanted to take a few minutes just to put my thoughts in
one place.
Last Sunday, I began trying to organize/outline all the
thoughts swirling in my head. Ironically, I have not had time to sit down and
write. While many people have been home looking for something to do, I (along
with many other teachers) have spent the past week preparing to continue our
school year in a whole new way. It has been challenging, but exciting. It is
time-consuming and tedious, but totally worth it. This next week is technically
my spring break, but I will be continuing to record lessons for our classes
beginning March 30.
A bit of a back story…
This year’s Bible curriculum for my 9th-10th
grade girls in a study on Faith. It began with a few lessons about who God is,
moved to a study of Hebrews 11-12, then ends in the book of James.
I don’t have time to recount all the reasons why I love
Hebrews 12:1-3, (you can read that here), but the girls and I have had a great
time learning about the practical application of our faith. References to what
we were learning popped up everywhere! Now, we have an amazing opportunity to
put all these truths into practice.
Back to the present...
Right now we are bombarded with so much information...press
conferences, statistics, recommendations of things to do, things to make,
things to watch, things to cook…..who knew that being at home could be so overwhelming??
Good news! God is the
source of all truth, and His promises never fail us. Here are some of the
truths/promises that I am thinking on lately (in no particular order):
·
His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways
are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9)
·
We walk by faith and not by sight. (II Corinthians
5:7)
·
Don’t worry about anything! Pray about
everything—with thanksgiving. (Phil. 4:6-8)
·
Focus on God, not my circumstances. (Isaiah
26:3)
·
The powers that be are ordained of God (Romans
13)
·
We are here “for such a time as this” (Esther
4:14)
There are
lots that I could say about each of those passages, but here is the main thing
that I want to focus on today.
In the book
of James we learn that “faith without works is dead.” James was written to
believers. In the context of the book, the works are not a means of obtaining salvation,
but an evidence of our salvation. So here is my question. During this
incredibly difficult time, what evidences of my faith are showing? Is there enough evidence to prove that I am a
Christian?
Right now,
there are so many decisions being made by our national, state, and local
leaders in government. Our pastors and employers are having to make many
difficult decisions. In all of these situations, humanly speaking, nothing is certain.
There are so many variables, so many opinions about what we should/should not
be doing. Every single decision carries some amount of risk. As with anything,
we all approach these situations from different perspectives.
Here is my
challenge – No matter our individual perspective or circumstance, let’s respond
in a kind, peaceful, Christ-like manner. We can’t let the stress and
uncertainty of the world around us dictate our responses. People are looking
for comfort and hope…don’t we want someone to look at us and think, “How can
they be so calm? I want what they have.” What an opportunity we have to share
the good news of the gospel with those who are scared and hurting. We have the answer!
Just last Saturday,
I was standing in a really long line at Aldi. The man behind me was so patient
and encouraging. He had a smile on his face, and he would stop and talk to
those around him. On his way out of the store, he said, “God is always good, and
He’s still got a plan for all of us.” I want to be like that man. I want God’s
love to overflow my heart, so that others can have hope.
