If He is Who He is
Life is far more a matter of faith than we sometimes think. We tend to feel like the weights of life fall directly on our shoulders, that we are responsible to make things happen, to keep healthy, to make good decisions and provisions for the future and to keep safe. However, if God really is God, then we are not gods in control of our own destinies. We are His workmanship designed to enjoy Him and live the lives He has prepared for us. If this is true, and if we really believe it, then our faith affects everything. We can loosen the anxious weights that are strapped to our shoulders. We don’t have to figure it all out and continually try to make a way for ourselves. We can learn to practically trust Him without fear, fret, worry or apprehension. This is the call of faith – faith in the One who holds it all together.
Allow your faith to be fed by the following Word of God:
“[Jesus] is the image of the invisible God … by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together … He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have supremacy. God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in [Jesus].” (Colossians 1:15-19)
If Jesus is the One who created all things and if He rules sovereignly over everything, why do we live and feel like everything is constantly at stake? Jesus instructed His disciples not to worry, but to rely on God’s love for them. (Matthew 6:33-34) He made it clear that worry adds absolutely nothing to the mix of their lives. (Matthew 6:27) If Jesus is as the Bible declares Him to be, we need to prioritize living according to our faith in Him. We must do what is necessary to keep ourselves full of faith, not allowing circumstances or the words/teachings of others to rob/destroy our hope. If Jesus is God, then reliance upon Him for direction, provision, and protection needs to take a central place of expression in our lives.
Do you believe the Bible’s depiction of Jesus? Is He the incarnate God-man we celebrate at Christmas? Are you allowing your faith in Him to bring peace to your inner soul, or are you living as if your life is in the balance – as if everything is on your shoulders?
Practical faith makes a difference in how we feel and how we live. It leads us to a wonderful place of thanksgiving and rest. May “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)
Believing in Jesus with you,
Pastor Tom
tgriffith@rolcboston.org
