The Proof is in the Putting

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

These words, penned by Louisa M.R. Stead in 1882 have been sung in churches for generations. They stand in sharp contrast to the many antagonists who posit that you can’t proof that God exists. The writer states in this hymn that the proof is possible, because His presence has been demonstrated in her life.

I reflected on these words recently, as I pondered when it meant to “prove Him o’er and o’er.” For those who have walked the Christian journey for any length of time, we recognize that as assuredly as there are moments of confident faith, there are instances of questioning despair. A loved one is diagnosed with cancer. A loving marriage is shattered by divorce. A child is the recipient of unspeakable pain. All of these, quite naturally, can cause us to question God; maybe not in the “do You exist?” sense, although that can certainly be the case. However, even in the staunchest Christian when faced with their personal protagonist of pain may wonder that if God has mercy on who He has mercy, and compassion on who He has compassion (see Romans 9:14-16) why does He withhold His power in bringing healing in our particular situation?

That’s when I realized, the proof that the lyricist wrote about wasn’t, I believe, in having a life in which all pain was immediately obliterated, but instead, was in continually putting her faith in Christ. In other words, to change the phrase, the proof wasn’t necessarily what happened in that particular circumstance, in the “pudding” so to speak, but the proof was in the putting…the perpetual commitment to trusting that God was in control, and that in the end His purposes and His plans would stand firm. God’s existence isn’t proven or disproved through His decision not to prevent a particular trial, but as we continually trust Him we see the proof that He is continuously trustworthy. His faithfulness is often clearest seen in our steadfastness to Him.

Now, some may say this is circular logic. “You are creating what you suspect” they may say. However, my challenge is this. Try it. Followers of Christ know that trusting in God often leads you to what you would least expect, so its not like a preexisting determination is making the equation true. However, by putting your trust in Christ, you can see how in your own life, He is proven faithful, time and time again.

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Crisis=Opportunity

It’s been popularly reported that President Obama’s Chief of Staff has a defined philosophy when it comes to the economic recession. Namely, to never waste a crisis. The idea behind this theory is that a crisis affords one an opportunity to accomplish something that wouldn’t be possible if everything was “normal.” Emergencies create panic, panic creates a heighten need of security, and this heightened need creates the chance for someone to step in and be the hero. Crisis, in other words, allows people to accomplish what might have otherwise been impossible in order to provide a semblance of peace.

Now, assuming that the philosophy has some veracity to it, the question then what is its significance outside the world of politics? For Christians, we have to recognize that it’s often when people are in the most need, i.e. in their own personal critical state of affairs, that they look for answers. Just like the economic recession has caused many to look to our nation’s leaders for solutions, individual’s crisis prompts people to find what that which can be depended on. Someone’s personal crisis then becomes an opportunity to minister to them, to show them the only true Foundation, and to bring them to the Rock that doesn’t move.

However, the other lesson to be learned, is that our commitment to doing the right thing shouldn’t be contingent upon people’s response to it. I’m sure that there were many people who were thrilled to obtain mortgages that they couldn’t afford when the economy was in stellar shape. However, it doesn’t mean that offering them was the right thing to do. In other words, a crisis might bring an opportunity but better to have the right foundation in place to weather the crisis with, rather than building in the midst of a storm. A lot of times when things are going great, we don’t consider speaking to someone about Jesus. We wait until the crisis hits, and they feel the need for answers. But in doing so, we’re helping to ensure that they don’t have the power of Christ to navigate through life’s trials and travails. People may not like hearing about their lack of security when everything seems good, but just because they don’t want to hear it, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t sound the alarm.

A crisis may equal an opportunity. But instead of waiting for the opportunity, why don’t we make our own? It may be harder for us, but it is the more caring thing for the other and as Christians, shouldn’t that be our more important concern?

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