Sometimes I go to places like Cambodia or where I am better off than others…and often there’s this guilt factor where i feel like i am helpless or the situation is too big to confront. It can be homeless, poverty, human traffic….way too big.
Do I sing that Jesus can do all things and love Justice and mercy and not able to see Jesus in brothels or among the brokenness? If Jesus is the center of all things and restore the captives and give sight to the blind, won’t He be able to take care of these things? In another words, do I have the faith to walk with Him in the darkness??
The more I read the Bible, the more I see that those who follow Jesus is different. There’s no middle ground. A total surrender life is very different than those who give a bit and dictate to God which part they are willing to give.
It is an uneasy feeling to follow Jesus because I find it I am very different than most people (Christian included). Think different. Act different. Live different. Not better. Priority just shifts. All the ‘normal’ things are not as important anymore.
To walk in faith, it is not merely say the problem is too big and walk away. As much as we have an inclination to turn away and go back to our normal life, we, instead, run toward the problem. Not knowing where to start. Maybe doubting our own skills and talents. And slowly lean on Him who supplies us with all good things. We comfort the darkness not because we are capable. But rather in our weakness, He shines even more. Restoring the situation and as well transforming us.
At the same time, there’s also a strong peace feeling. The feeling of awe to know that wow..this is what we mean by seeking the Kingdom. This is not something we read off a book. This is real. We can feel it. We rejoice. This is how the Holy Spirit will work through us and in us. This is good. Soo good and wonderful.
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“There is a difference between standing in hope and walking in faith.
Faith is not an abstract theoretical proposition. It’s not wishful thinking. It’s substance. It’s action. Most of my life I imagined faith as some kind of force field. And the way we talk about faith dematerializes it. By most definitions, faith is synonymous with hope. But the more I study Scripture, the more I detect a sharp distinction between hope and faith.
Hope is a desire. Faith is a demonstration. Hope wants it to happen. Faith causes it to happen and acts as if it’s already done.
Faith is not content to want it really, really badly. Faith consults the drawings and gets busy building. Hope is the blueprint. Faith is the contractor.
Some of the impossible things we’re believing God for will never happen in our lives if we stand in hope instead of walking in faith.”
