Trusting with Trials

Most of us like to be considered trustworthy. We want people to think that we are worthy of their secrets, of their respect, and their confidence. Whether or not most people are actually trustworthy is a different story, but generally speaking, it’s a quality we all desire.

However, there is one instance where we may be inclined to wish we weren’t trust quite so much. Usually this comes when we are experiencing a trial and we can’t ascertain its purpose. As Christians, we know that God is using the situation, and is using us to accomplish His good (See Romans 8:28), but depending on the magnitude of the trial that we are enduring, we may wish that God didn’t entrust us with so great a task as to represent Him well in the midst of it.

And while this may be our inclination, it’s important to remember that God is trusting us. He’s given us an opportunity to be used for His purpose and while that may be overwhelming at times, it is also a privilege. Hopefully, we want to be the kind of people who suffer well for Christ, and if God has deemed us able to do that, then we should be grateful – maybe not necessarily for the situation – but for the fact that He has counted us worthy to endure what His Son endured (although for most of us, probably to a significantly lesser degree), and to in the midst of hard situations, demonstrate how good He is.

Continue Reading

This is Love

Nativity scenes, holiday cards, and carols remind us of Christ’s descent to Earth. What is often missed in these Christmas novelties, is the fact that for Christ

the cradle and the cross are inextricably linked.

Not only did Christ give up heavenly blessings for Earthly travails, but He did it knowing that the end result would lead Him to a gruesome death.

We are hesitant to sacrifice when we don’t know what the outcome would be, let alone when we know there will be pain involved.

He lovingly give up all that was rightly His, even though He knew the end result would be bad for Him, because He knew the outcome would be good for us.

May we increasingly love like this.

May we sacrifice our convenience for another’s benefit. May we give up our rights for another’s blessing. And may we do what is best for others, even if it cost us.

For this is what Love did.

Continue Reading