Where Do You Stand Now?

When we were in school or college, test day was never easy. Nerve-wracking, in fact, especially if it was a pop quiz. We got nervous and couldn’t think at first. Not knowing the outcome was enough to send us into a tail spin. After four years of this kind of stress, we put our cap and gown on with gusto anxious to get going with our life plan.

One true thing about plans is they can change in an instant! Every single one of us has gone through the disappointment of things not working out as we expected. It’s another one of those learning curves we keep running into; another pop quiz we thought was a thing of the past.

Never Give Up!

But, oh, no. Just as we reach our pinnacle--the mountaintop--life has a way of sending us on another journey. We may be expected to change directions, to suddenly leave without any supplies, or to travel alone. Yet, we have fears and doubts about moving forward. It’s easy to close our eyes and resist participating in our future.

Avoidance, however, creates another problem for us. It provides an escape, but not an answer that solves anything of value for us. Very much like treating the symptoms and not the illness. Evasion prompts us to feel uneasy, nervous, and frightened, when we don’t even know what is going on internally with ourselves.  

So, once again, we find ourselves having to plan a way to move along on our individual path. We will find it much easier if we remember to trust in God and in our own ability. God in His mercy gave us another chance to make things right in our lives. He brought us to this exact place of opportunity.

A Measure of Faith

Just trying to understand where we get faith and how it is developed will help us find answers and advance our goals. Consider these:

• True vs. False. Over time, we can learn to recognize things people do or say that are true or not. Our verification meter is back in good working order.
• Solid Evidence. Our experience has taught us who and what to trust, and when.
• Subject Matter. We can make a continual effort to study about faith in ourselves and others. Then we can encourage those around us.
• Spiritual Partner. Faith comes from the seed of hope God plants in us. Then, the Holy Spirit is our lifelong “Helper” who waters and nourishes the soil of our mind.
• Grace in Bloom. No one plants a garden without expecting blooms of every kind. Each positive step in our life is another beautiful bloom of Grace to keep us going!

In the End

The whole object of faith is the belief and acceptance of our One and Only Saviour, Jesus Christ. With Him in our lives, we can do anything. It’s a fact. And He will make sure we have the strength to see our lives turn around for good. Or, we can choose the impossible and remain frustrated. He leaves us the choice.

Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. Romans 5:2 (NLT)