FAITH. HOPE. LOVE.

Faith. Hope. Love. 

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind for me. It seems it’s been the same for many of my family and friends. I won’t go into specifics, it’s their stories to tell not mine, but I will share that I’ve experienced the greatness of these three gifts lately and it is true, the best of these is love.

“We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us! But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.” 1 Corinthians 13: 12-13 (MSG)

Faith

Life happens quickly. As shared in 1 Corinthians, we may not see things clearly, or life may not make sense but if we believe and trust, there will come a time when the fog lifts and everything we’ve experienced will make sense. For me, these words are important because I’m one who likes to know the reason or the why. I like to understand people and situations much like cause and effect. However, in my Christian walk, there are many times when life just doesn’t make sense, and it is in these moments my faith and trust come into play. My faith and trust are in God’s word. When His word tells me that He will protect me, I stand steady in His promise. When His word tells me that He will fight for me and that I only need to stand still, I am still.

Recently, I seemed to have landed (literally) in a situation that was a bit complicated. I’m not one to run from conflict. I believe healthy conflict improves our situation. We all learn from conflict so when a matter arose, I stood still and waited for God to act. I did not move forward, I did not defend myself, and I did not show anger. I stood steady in His word and allowed God the opportunity to work.

Hope

It took many years to learn that in these instances I need to step back and allow God to work. You see, He will fight for me but only if I am still. This isn’t as easy for me as it seems. I’m results oriented (I like results). I like to get things done. And, I always tell myself faith is action. But (there’s always a but) God’s word states that we are to stand still and wait on Him. Yes, we must wait, and while we wait, we hope. Hope is a feeling of expectation, a desire for something promising.

As we wait for God to take action, we place our trust and hope in Him. As believers, it’s important to trust God since it is His desire that we depend on Him. He does not want us to rely on our own strength because when we overcome through His strength, we give God the glory and the praise He deserves. And the situations where we have prevailed become our story, our testimony to others of God’s power.

Love

It is through His strength we succeed and overcome. When I fight my own battles, I am saying, God, I’ve got this. I don’t need you. But, I do need Him and so do you. It’s in the trusting that our lives are strengthened. It’s trusting in God and His word because He is always protecting us. Whether it’s betrayal from a dear friend, the loss of a job or a financial challenge, God is there watching and waiting, ready to protect, provide, and support us. Why? Because He loves us.

And, when we are not feeling the love, we must remember to look up and know that He is there. Click To Tweet

He will never leave us or forsake us.

A Change of Heart

In my journey, there have been many times I felt the need to fight. Times when I did not stand still. Times where my stubbornness created a desire in me to seek justice (and there were many). In these situations, I allowed my independent flesh to override my faith, hope, and love. It took many years for this rebellious female to stand down and it wasn’t easy but over the years the fog lifted, and I was able to see more clearly, much more clearly. Whether my behavior was due to experiences, upbringing or nature is not relevant. What matters is that God changed my heart.  I came to the realization that unless I remain still, God is unable to work in my life. How about you? Are you still fighting for control or have you made the choice to stand down?

Honor, Glory, and Praise!

I encourage you to be still. Be patient and allow God to work in your life. All you need to do is trust, hope, and love. And when we reflect on His word and we exhibit these three qualities in our life, we are reflecting God, and it is through these actions we give Him the honor, glory, and praise!

Image Credit by BBriggsIllustration