|
Faith, hope, and love. What do these words mean when we are suffering? Lately God has been speaking to me as I’ve worked at a hospital. I’ve been seeking God for more insight into what it means to walk by faith, have hope, and live in love in the midst of crises.
 A 14 year old boy said: “God must not love me as much as other people. No matter how much I pray God doesn’t answer me.”
Faith: We are to encourage one another to have faith but how do we do this when God doesn’t seem to answer prayer? When I heard the young man’s statement I asked God for insight into this common question.
Hebrews 11:1 “ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Matthew 6:10 “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. “
That’s it! God’s doesn’t always answer the way we think he should. He can see the whole puzzle while we only see a piece. God does hear us and cares about our requests. Yet he works within people’s free will, so sometimes things are not the way God intended.
 A 35 year old woman shared through her tears: “God must be punishing me. All of my life I have had hardships and I have never been able to find any relief from the pain. After losing my baby and husband in the car accident the pain doesn’t stop. Whether I take Meth or not the pain doesn’t go away.”
Hope: Let’s face it: in this broken world there is a heavenly war that is waged for each soul. We are caught in the effects of the evil that is present. Life can seem to be out of control at times, and our enemy, Satan, tries to snatch any hope we have. Sometimes there can be so much despair that taking one more step feels impossible.
1Peter 5:8 “Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, prowls about, seeking whom he may devour”
It is when life can seem the most bleak that we need to cling to the Word of God. At the most desperate times Christ beckons to us:
Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Although the circumstances of our lives may be out of our control, and may be painful to endure, we still have the power to choose what we will do. We can surrender to Christ and allow him to cradle us when we cannot take another step. We can choose to place our hope and trust in God.
A 16 year old contemplating suicide declared: “God! What God? I see no proof of God and I find no hope in the future. I see no reason to stick around.”
Love: Sometimes the most loving thing we can do for another is to accept them right where they are just as Christ does. God loves and waits for the wounded and the lost. He waits for the prodigal with great anticipation. He grieves while the prodigal is lost. He wants so much to reveal His love but respects the fact that the prodigal may not be ready to accept this love. In these times we model Jesus’ love, not by preaching, but by listening. The experience of God’s love must start with people feeling love through us.
Matthew 25:40 “I say unto you, Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.”
Faith, Hope, and Love: what do these words mean? They mean life to a dying and hurting world. Faith that God is working on our behalf even when we see through the glass dimly. Hope that a day is coming when every tear will be wiped away and that God will carry us when we cannot go one more step. Love is knowing that we are valued and accepted just as we are by our mighty and powerful Father.
piece by Sheri Rosencrantz
e-mail her at sherirosencrantz@msn.com |
