Walking By Faith

A good friend of mine has turned down some job offers because they’re not in the city in which he and his wife believe God has called them to live and help start a church. And yet my friend is currently without a job and running out of money. He and his wife also have two young sons, so there’s a lot at stake.

His situation reminds me of something similar I went through in the late ’90’s. I was in the process of being laid off from a job, but felt God leading me to wait patiently for what He would reveal. The more I prayed, the more God said to wait patiently. And so I did…for several months. A week after I was laid off, God opened a door for a new job.

During those few months, it looked like I was being passive, irresponsible and foolish. I wasn’t looking for a job, filling out applications or going on interviews. I was praying and waiting. Why? Because I believe it’s what God was leading me to do.

My friend is praying and waiting and actively looking for a job in a particular city. Why? Because he believes it’s what God is leading him to do.

Many people would think he’s crazy for turning down job offers. After all, it’s tough to find a job in this economy. What’s he thinking?

Yeah, what’s he thinking?

And while we’re at it, what was Noah thinking when he built that ark?

How about Moses leading millions of people out of captivity only to get backed up against the Red Sea by the Egyptian army? What was he thinking?

What was Abraham thinking when he left his home to go to a land God said He’d show him? And what was he thinking when he raised the knife to kill his son, Isaac?

What was Joseph thinking when he resisted the advances of his boss’s wife and ended up in prison because she falsely accused him?

What was Daniel thinking when he disobeyed the king so he could be faithful to God and then was tossed into a den of lions as punishment?

What were they thinking?

In hindsight, these men are all heroes of the faith. They faced impossible circumstances, they believed God and He came through for them. In hindsight.

But in the midst of their difficulties, each of these men looked like fools. They couldn’t see how or when things were going to work out and neither could anyone else.

Remember, God may, check that–God will–call you to take a step of faith that will look foolish to those around you. He hasn’t spoken to them though. He has spoken to you. He is the only One you must please. You don’t need to explain yourself to others. They won’t understand anyway since most people are not walking by faith.

Most people have ordered their lives in such a way as to eliminate or at least minimize any need for faith. They may call it living cautiously or prudently or risk-averse. Call it what you will, but it’s not a life of faith and it’s not the kind of life God blesses.

Maybe God hasn’t called you to move to another city and help start a church. He might though.

But what is He calling you to do today? Are you listening to Him? Would you hear Him if He called your name today? Or is He being drowned out by an iPod, Facebook, Twitter, a couple hundred text messages and a few hours of television?

Living by faith is the “normal” Christian life.

So are you trusting God today? I mean the kind of trust where if He doesn’t come through, you’re sunk. The kind of trust where He’s not only plan A, He’s plan B, C, D…

Is there a step of faith God is calling you to today? Ask Him. While you’re waiting for Him to answer, try one of these:

• Give away a sum of money that will make you nervous. That might be $50 for some of you. For others, it might mean $5,000. Or more.
• Walk across the street and meet your new neighbor.
• Meet your spouse’s needs even though he/she isn’t meeting yours.
• Tell God you’re willing to do anything He tells you to do, go anywhere He tells you to go, whenever He tells you to do it.
• Tell someone about your addiction and that you need help.
• Stop having sex until you’re married.

If your relationship with God seems stale or boring, then maybe you’ve been living by sight, not by faith. A life of faith is not boring. Sometimes scary. But never boring.

When you walk by faith, you will experience God in ways the sight-walkers never get to. You will see Him use you in ways you didn’t know were possible. You will discover how He has uniquely designed you to advance His kingdom. You will see Him open doors, often at the last minute, you never could have on your own.

You were made to live by faith in God.

Are you?

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”  –Hebrews 11:6

Help Me, Lord, Please!

I got off the phone a little while ago with a friend who’s going through a rough season. He’s currently unemployed and it’s been really tough on him. This is a guy who works hard, has tremendous gifts and skills, and has been very successful in his field, but he hasn’t been able to find a job. It’s not like he hasn’t tried. He’s also a loving husband and devoted dad, but his circumstances have caused some tension at home.

Maybe you can relate to my friend. You may have faced similar circumstances. You may be in them now.

You may be in a situation that despite your best efforts isn’t getting better. In fact, it may be getting worse. You’ve tried everything you know to do and nothing has worked.

That can be hard enough, but for those of us who also try to follow Jesus, there can be added pain and  confusion. If there was no God, if the universe really was a random accident, then difficult circumstances would be expected, right? Why would things not be hard?

But for those of us who follow Jesus, it can sometimes be confusing and painful when God doesn’t seem to be come through for us right when we need Him the most. We work hard. We pray hard. We seek God’s will. We stay faithful.

But God doesn’t come through. Or at least it seems that way. He just lets our difficulties continue. Often with no end in sight.

By the way, I know God never promised life would be easy. My friend knows that, too. But it doesn’t remove the pain, does it?

Another friend of mine, who has also been battling a lengthy season of unemployment, once said, “Growth is always preceded by pain or confusion.”

I need to remember that.

When nothing is working out and God appears to be AWOL, we can always know this: God is growing us. He’s growing our relationship with Him. He’s growing our faith. He’s growing our character. He’s growing our capacity to minister to others.

Don’t miss that last one. It’s been huge in my life. I hated some of the circumstances God took me through, but they enlarged my heart. I’m able to empathize with others because of what I experienced. I have compassion for others I wouldn’t have had.

So now what?

You’re in circumstances you didn’t ask for, didn’t want and wouldn’t wish on anyone. A serious illness. A divorce. The death of someone you love. Or like my friends, you’re struggling to find a job. Maybe you’re depressed and don’t know why. Or you’re lonely. Or you’re scared. Or you just don’t care any more.

What do you do now?

I won’t insult you with worn out Christian cliches that only make the pain worse, but when we’re in dark seasons, it’s sometimes easy to forget the core principles of our faith that really do bring strength and encouragement. So let me remind you of two things:

1. God has not forgotten you and will bring this season to an end. I know you can’t see a way out. I know God seems not to care. I know it doesn’t seem like He’s at work. But He has not forgotten you and He already sees how He will bring an end to your current circumstances.

2. Sometimes the best prayer is simply, “Help me, Lord, please!” You don’t have to be eloquent. Just cry out. And don’t stop. He will give peace and comfort in the midst of whatever you’re facing. He can also knock down walls, part seas, move mountains, change hearts, open doors or accomplish whatever else you need. And at just the right time, He will.

“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)

Living Water

Here in Northwest Arkansas, it’s been a hot, dry August. I can’t remember the last time it rained.

In the midst of the 100+ degree heat, my son started 9th grade football practice. The head coach does a great job of stressing the need to stay hydrated. I hear him remind the team after almost every practice that they must be responsible for their bodies–for eating properly and for drinking enough fluids while at home. He also makes sure they get enough to drink during practice.

It’s such a contrast to when I played football growing up in New Jersey. I remember hearing coaches yell, “Get away from the water!” Back in the ’70’s, water was more of a distraction than a life-saver.

Yesterday, when I went to pick my son up from practice, I noticed a green patch of grass on the hill next to the practice field. Here’s the picture:

After several weeks without rain, the grass is burning up…except for that one patch. It has stayed green because of the run off from a hose that supplies drinking water for the football team. That patch of grass enjoys several hours of water each day.

Do you ever wonder about the condition of your spirit? Do you think it would look healthy like the well-watered grass? Or would it be dried out, parched, dying of thirst?

The real you is not just that body you walk around in. Primarily, you are a spiritual being. If it was possible to peer inside and look at our spirits, what would we find? How would yours be doing?

Our spirits are watered when we invest time with God and soak in His word, the Bible. Paul wrote to the Colossians, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…”

Jesus was once having a discussion with a Samaritan woman and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

A few sips of water during a football practice in hot weather isn’t enough to keep you alive. Running the sprinkler for a few minutes every week won’t save your lawn. Not in this heat. And occasionally reading the Bible or relying on whatever you get from a sermon isn’t enough to water and nourish your spirit.

I wonder what would happen if we were to be as well-watered as that grass. Would some of the obstacles we face no longer appear to be so big? Would God give us the wisdom we need to deal with the difficulties in our lives? Might He even give us an idea that could provide the breakthrough we’re seeking?

A healthy spirit, one that has soaked in God’s word, will desire and delight in God, in His will and His ways. If that doesn’t necessarily describe you, then maybe it’s time to turn on the sprinkler. Crank that valve wide open. Saturate your spirit in the Word of God.

He’s got the answers you seek. He’s got the power you need. He’s got the peace and joy for you to face the day.

Blind Spots

As I’ve taught my four children to drive, one of the things I’ve stressed is the need to quickly glance over their shoulders before changing lanes. I don’t know how many accidents I’ve avoided by doing that one simple thing.

Why is that important? Because our side view mirrors do not give a complete picture. We’ve all seen the warning, “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.” Well, I’d like to see one that says, “Objects in mirror are not the only ones.”

That area just behind the front doors of the car are often not visible in the mirrors. Those are the blind spots. I can see what’s in front of me and I can see what’s behind me, but I can’t see what’s in my blind spots…unless I intentionally look.

Knowing what’s in our blind spots as we drive can save us a lot of trouble and expense. Fortunately, a quick glance over the shoulder reveals what we don’t normally see.

I wish the only blind spots we had to deal with were when we’re driving, but they’re not. We’ve got other ones.

Blind spots exist in our relationships, including our relationships with our spouse and children. They exist in our work and ministry relationships. They even exist in how we do our work and ministry.

Johari’s Window is a useful tool in understanding this idea.

There are things I know about me and you know about me. For example, I like to workout. I know that about me and so do many who know me. My marriage is very important to me. I know that and so do others. I’m pretty easy-going. I know it and others do, too.

Then there are those things that I know about me, but you don’t. These could be fears, insecurities, sins, hidden agendas, etc. I’d tell you what some of mine are, but then they’d no longer fit in this category, would they?

The next area is tricky and we’re not really going to get into it, but it involves those things I don’t know about me and neither do you. Your spouse doesn’t know them. Your best friend doesn’t know them. You don’t know them. No one does…other than God.

Of course, the longer you walk with God and grow in your relationship with your spouse (if you’re married), this area of your life may become better known. You will discover more and more about yourself–both the good and the bad. Who better to help in that process than God and the one committed to you for a lifetime?

Let’s get back to the blind spots for a moment. These are things I don’t know about me, but you do. To be honest, that’s a scary thought. You know things about me that I don’t know. It could be an annoying habit, a weakness, a character flaw, mistakes I make or it could be something good. Whatever it is, I’m blind to it, but you’re not.

Now here’s the thing, blind spots may often be those things that keep us from being more effective. They keep us from reaching our potential. Especially, if our blind spot is a glaring one.

For example, a massage therapist with a bad case of body odor is in trouble if no one tells her. Her clients, the few she has, know she has a problem, but she doesn’t. Unless a friend, supervisor, co-worker or client tells her, she’s never going to be successful.

Now you may read that and think, “Come on, how could she not know?”

That’s easy, it’s a blind spot for her.

You would think she would know, because it’s so apparent to everyone else, but she doesn’t. That’s the nature of your blind spots. Blind to you, but not to us.

Do you know some of your blind spots?

No, you don’t. But others do.

You’ll never know what your blind spots are unless you’re willing to be vulnerable and open yourself up to others you can trust, giving them permission to tell you the truth.

Your marriage is the perfect place for this to occur. A good friend or trusted c0-worker can also help.

Do you want deeper more fulfilling relationships? Greater success in your work? Do you want to move past a “sticking point” in your life?

You may need to address your blind spots.

There’s something standing in your way though. Pride.

Proud people don’t want to hear the truth. Proud people get defensive when they do hear it. Proud people want to do things their way.

Pride was Satan’s downfall. It’s ours too.

The humble though are willing to receive the truth. In fact, they seek it out. They understand they don’t have all the answers and don’t see what others see. Humble people know they have blind spots and are also secure enough in their relationship with Christ to receive hard feedback.

James 4:6 says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

We can walk in pride and remain blind to those things others see, but we don’t. Or we can walk in humility and open ourselves up to others who will tell us the truth. Not to hurt us, but for our good.

So what are you going to do? Walk in pride or humility?

If you do nothing, we already have the answer, don’t we?

Marriage Book

I started work on a marriage book this week. It’s been on my mind for a long time, but I haven’t done much to move it from my head to words on a page. Then a couple weeks ago after doing a sermon on marriage, a friend approached me and said, “You need to write a book and I have the outline.”

We met a few days later. Sure enough, she had the outline. And I really liked it. That was the tipping point. It feels wrong to not write it now.

In writing a book though, I’m asking myself the same kind of questions I ask when writing this blog, only multiplied by a hundred.

“Who are you to write a book?”

“There are so many marriage books–do we really need another one?”

“How can you write a book when you don’t always live up to what you say you believe?”

All good questions for which I don’t have good answers. Often I feel like I’m “winning” at my marriage, but sometimes I feel like I’m a selfish jerk. And sometimes I just feel like a big hypocrite who should probably be struck by lightening.

And yet, here I go.

My goal is to be finished with a first draft by the end of October. (It’ll help me to say that publicly to put some pressure on myself to finish.) You may see some of the content in this blog over the next couple of months. I think you’ll find it interesting whether you’re married or not.

I would like to ask for your help though.

What questions do you have about marriage? About the roles of husbands and wives? About choosing a spouse, if you’re single? About problems you’re dealing with? About the differences between men and women? About anything else?

Nothing is off limits. If you could see my outline, you’d know I mean it.

You can use the comment section or email me at: greggstutts@yahoo.com

By the way, now’s a good time to thank you for reading. I’m grateful to be able to share this journey with so many of you from all over the world. Also, I haven’t mentioned it very often, but if you’d like to subscribe to this blog and receive it by email–just sign up in that box over there to the right that says, “Enter your email address”, then just click on the subscribe button.

Don’t worry, your email address will never be sold, traded or anything else. You’ll just get new blog posts in your inbox from now on.

Thanks again!

One Thing

Have you seen the movie, “City Slickers”? Billy Crystal plays, Mitch, a 39-year-old married man who’s trying to figure out his life. As a birthday present for Mitch, he and a couple of friends head out west to work as cowboys for two weeks.

There’s a scene where Mitch is riding along with Curly, a crusty old cowboy. At one point, Curly turns to Mitch and says, “Do you know what the secret of life is?”

Mitch says, “No, what?”

Curly then holds up one finger and says, “This.”

“Your finger?” Mitch asks.

“One thing,” Curly answers. “Just one thing…” (As you can imagine, Curly’s language occasionally gets a little salty, so I won’t go into the rest of what he says.)

Mitch asks, “What’s the one thing?”

“That’s what you’ve got to figure out,” Curly says.

One thing.

Is there really a secret to life? Is it really just one thing?

How would you answer? What’s the secret to life?

The politically correct Christian answer is of course, Jesus. But is He really? I mean, do you really believe it? Is Jesus enough? Is He the “secret” to life? To your life?

What about when life is falling apart and nothing seems to go as we’d hoped?

People we love get sick or die. Unexpectedly. Doesn’t it feel like the “one thing” is healing?

A spouse acts selfishly, despite promises to change or a child continues on a path of rebellion. Doesn’t it feel like the one thing is for the other person to simply act in a loving and responsible way?

Or just when we’re about to get ahead financially, the car breaks down, the washing machine quits or an unexpected bill arrives in the mail. Sometimes in the midst of a financial crisis, we feel like we don’t need Jesus as much as we just need a few thousand dollars.

So when our desires go unmet with no end in sight and that’s the reality we’re living in, is Jesus enough?

Really?

If an objective third-party was to study our to-do lists, our calendars and our checking accounts from the past 30-days, would they conclude Jesus is the one thing in our lives? Or would they find you and I are looking for our fulfillment and happiness in things we buy or experiences we enjoy or what we eat and drink?

Stop for a moment and ask yourself, “What do I desire the most?”

A better job? More money? A new house? Maybe it’s just that your existing house would sell before you lose it. Do you desire to have a baby? A better marriage? Or to simply be married. (I wonder how many single people desire to be married and how many married people desire to be single.)

It’s easy for me to say Jesus is my one thing, but does my life back it up?

Does yours?

I wonder what would happen if we actually committed to make Jesus the one thing. What would it even look like for us to do that?

Do you want to find out? Or at least start the journey?

What if for the rest of the month, you and I committed to living out Psalm 37:4?

“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

What if for the next two weeks, the number one priority in your life was to delight in the Lord. Not your favorite television shows. Not other relationships. Not your work. Not the stuff you’ve bought.

Just Him. What if your goal was to find your pleasure and enjoyment in Him?

How you do that is up to you.

For me, that has to include lots of time in the Bible. It has to include obeying what He tells me to do. It might also include a time of fasting. Maybe an extended time of worshiping Him. It’ll need to include time with others who are like-minded in wanting to seek and delight in Him.

What if as you seek and delight in the Lord, He begins to change you and your desires? What if your new desires line up with what He is already purposing to do in your life?

By the way, I’m not suggesting that our current desires are all wrong. There’s nothing wrong with desiring to be married or have a baby or get out of debt. Maybe God has the same desire for you, but has different timing or a different way of fulfilling it. The key is to delight in and desire Jesus more than anything else.

What do you think?

One thing. Two weeks.

Will you join me?

What Will It Take For You?

Our first parents, Adam and Eve, rebelled. They ate what they were told not to eat and that introduced sin into the human race. Ever since, we’ve been bent on going our own way. Our nature is to seek life and happiness on our own terms, not God’s.

And yet all through history, God’s message has been consistent: return to Me. I will be Your God. You will be my people. I will love and provide for you. You will love and worship Me.

Life as it was meant to be will one day be restored when God brings heaven to earth (Revelation 21-22). Our desire to go our own way, to live independent of God will be no more. We will leave in peace with Him, enjoying the friendship with Him that He always desired.

Until then, we toil and sweat and endure pain and hardships. We suffer loss. We experience conflict with people we love. We live in fear or anger or worry or anxiety. We wonder if God sees or cares or actually does love us. We question His goodness when times are bad. We struggle and groan in a world cursed by sin.

Faithfully though, God continues to call to us. He invites us to love Him and seek Him. He wants us to trust Him, to believe Him, to rely on Him. When we do, we discover He really is good. He really does love us. He can be counted on when times are good and when times are bad.

Sadly though, we most often seem to forget Him. Some of us go hours without even thinking about Him. Many of us go through entire days or weeks without truly taking the time to talk with Him or even consider that He’s there–waiting for us to acknowledge Him, seek Him and love Him.

In Ezekiel 22, God is detailing the sins Judah has been guilty of when in verse 12 it says, “And you have forgotten Me, declares the Sovereign LORD.”

You have forgotten Me.

Do you think that just maybe that might be one of the worst sins we could ever commit? Maybe the worst? Could forgetting God be the root issue of all the sin and difficulties in our lives?

Flip it around for a moment. What would your life look like today if you were to constantly remember God’s way of doing things and His presence in your life?

What if you were to remember that His ways are always best and that His power is always available to enable you to carry out whatever He has called you to do?

He has a plan for your marriage and the power for you to live it out. He knows your spouse’s needs and how best to meet them. He knows the sources of conflict and how to resolve them. He sees the problems that lie ahead and how to handle them.

Your job may not seem like a spiritual activity, something God is all that involved in, but it is. Your job as a teacher, a coach, a manager, a sales person, a business owner or whatever, is no less sacred than being a pastor or missionary. If God has called you to your position, then He knows how He wants you to do your job and His wisdom and strength are available to do it.

Your financial problems may seem like your mess to deal with, but that’s not how God sees it. Yes, you may have to deal with the consequences of poor choices, but He has a plan to help you. His principles for handling finances are always best.

In God’s way of thinking, there is no segmentation to life. You don’t have a personal life, a work life, a family life and a church life. You don’t have a life you live Monday through Thursday, another you live on Friday and Saturday nights and then another for Sunday mornings. You have one life and God is central to it. In fact, HE IS YOUR LIFE.

Read that last sentence again. I believe our failure to believe it, and then live like it’s true, is the real problem we all face. We forget God, but still have needs, wants and desires that we long to fulfill. Life then becomes and endless, fruitless search for life and meaning apart from the only true Source.

Isn’t it funny that people have looked for life and happiness in money and material things for thousands of years, but haven’t found it? And yet we keep looking there? According to Sports Illustrated, 78% of former NFL players are broke or financially stressed. 60% of former NBA players are broke just five years after retiring. These guys made millions of dollars, but are now broke. No, they didn’t understand how to handle their money, but that’s the point. They sought life and happiness by buying all the things and pleasures money could buy. But it didn’t work. They spent themselves into poverty.

This life provides a multitude of distractions. All kinds of diversions and excuses for forgetting God. You’d almost think someone evil was behind a world system like that.

So here’s the question for you (and me): what will it take for you to remember God? I don’t just mean remember He exists, but that He’s your life. That He’s central to who you are. That He doesn’t want to just be an afterthought, but wants to be your first thought and last thought and every thought in between?

What will it take for us to embrace Him and His way of living life and stop chasing our lesser gods? What will it take for us to put away our idols and turn away from our temporary pleasures and pursuits that provide fleeting happiness, but always leave us empty?

Will it take a personal crisis? A serious health issue? The loss of a job? What will it take for us to truly remember God?

What will it take for you?

Do You Remember?

In Mark 6, Jesus and His disciples, along with thousands of other people, are in a remote place. Because it’s late in the day, the disciples urge Jesus to send the people away so they can buy some food for themselves.

You remember the story–Jesus instructs the disciples to find out how much food they have available. They’re able to turn up five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus then multiplies the food and is able to feed over 5,000 people.

On a side note, the pastor at the church I grew up in explained the story by saying that everyone began to share the food they’d brought with them. Jesus hadn’t really multiplied the food. The real miracle was sharing. Maybe that kind of teaching was one of the reasons I was able to attend that church up until leaving for college without ever really understanding what it meant to have a relationship with Christ. But anyway…

Fast forward to Mark 8. I’m not sure how much time has elapsed since Mark 6, but it really doesn’t matter. Let’s pick up the story beginning with verse 1:

During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”

His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”

Let’s stop there. Does anything strike you as funny? Or sad?

Whether it’s been two days, two weeks or two months since Jesus fed the 5,000, wouldn’t you think the disciples would remember? He took five loaves and two fish and fed over 5,000 people. The disciples distributed the food. They picked up the leftovers. They saw it all happen.

And now the best they can come up with is, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”

I don’t see that any of the twelve having a better response. Their question seems to be the consensus wisdom of the group. No one said, “Hey wait! Jesus! Just do that thing again! You know, that thing where you made all that food from nothing! Remember that?! Do You think You could just do that again?”

Now here comes the really sad part. I’m as bad as the disciples. Worse even.

God meets a financial need, but I forget about it and worry again the next time I’m in a tight situation.

I see something I don’t like, but can’t control. God worked it out last time, but I still get worried, angry and anxious.

God pointed out my sin to me, but over time I allow it to creep back into my life.

I was worried about one of my children. God spoke to me about the situation. A year later, I was worried about the same child and the same issue. In a very clear and unmistakable way, God spoke to me again, saying the same thing He had a year earlier.

You would think the disciples wouldn’t be so spiritually and mentally dull. But who am I to talk?

Do you wrestle with this, too?

How do you remember what God has said and done in your life?

When All You Have is Faith

When I was kid, I remember my dad sitting at the kitchen table with a road map and a yellow legal pad whenever we were getting ready to take a trip. He would carefully mark off the route and the mileage between various points along the way. He liked having a plan.

Today, sites like Mapquest and Expedia make trip planning much easier. Before setting out on a trip, I like to investigate the various routes I can take, what towns I’ll pass through and where I can spend the night. I like having a plan and a budget. I like minimizing surprises, at least the bad ones, whenever I’m traveling.

Before the internet, I was willing to accept more risk than I am now. Years ago, I would set off on a road trip and have a general idea of where I wanted to stop for the night and would then just pull off the interstate and start looking for the nicest place to stay in my price range.

Now I find I’m less willing to just take a risk on where I’ll sleep for the night. I always like to check out the customer reviews before making a reservation. The days of just pulling off the highway and hoping for the best are over.

Like my dad, when I’m traveling, I like to have a plan. I like to know when I’m leaving, how many miles I’m going to cover that day and where I’m stopping for the night. It’s always fun to be spontaneous, but I usually try to minimize the risks and surprises when I’m spending lots of money on a trip.

Surely, among the 12 disciples, there was at least one guy like me who liked to know what was coming up, what the accommodations were going to be, what time dinner was, etc. So I wonder what it was like when Jesus called them together, gave them authority over evil spirits and then sent them out in pairs to do some ministry with these instructions:

“Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them.” (Mark 6:8-11)

So two guys were supposed to set off on their own with nothing except a staff. No food. No water. No change of clothes. No money. No plan. No idea where they’d sleep.

Just two guys, each with a staff and authority over evil spirits.

What better way to teach the disciples to live by faith than to give them the opportunity to do it.

How about you? Does God have you in an uncomfortable situation? Is trust in Him all you’ve got right now?

Maybe your plan “A” failed and you don’t have a plan “B.”

Maybe the relationship you’ve worked so hard on hasn’t turned out like you’d hoped.

Maybe the money has run out, you still can’t find a job and you’ve got to buy food. Not to mention paying the mortgage.

Could it be that God has allowed or even orchestrated your circumstances, so you will have an opportunity to live by faith?

No one intentionally seeks circumstances that require faith. Or at least very few of us do. We want to know where our next meal is coming from. And preferably the one after that. When the gas gauge is nearing “E”, we like seeing the sign that tells us there are three gas stations at the next exit. We want to know the results of our medical tests today. Yesterday would be better. Actually, we don’t ever want to have a condition that requires testing.

No, we really don’t want to live by faith. And yet…that’s God’s way. It just is.

We often talk about wanting to know God better. Well, know this about Him: He’s someone who likes to be believed.

Now you know Him a little better.

It’s interesting that we don’t get to see the reaction the disciples had before they set off on their journeys. I think they must have taken the instructions pretty well though. If they had complained or become fearful, I tend to think Mark would have recorded it and also told us how Jesus responded.

Instead, the next two verses simply say, “They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.”

Apparently, they all found places to sleep. No one starved to death. Everyone made it back. Mission accomplished. By faith.

If you can’t possibly see how your situation is going to work out, then just take the next step by faith. Refuse to give into fear and worry. Refuse to panic. Don’t get anxious. Do whatever you know to do and then leave the results in God’s hands. Seek Him with all your might. Remind Him (and yourself) that He promised to meet your needs.

His timing and His ways will be different than yours, but He will come through for you.

Remember the Main Character

One of the hardest things for me to remember is that I’m not the main character in the story of my life. In other words, it’s not about me. Obviously in my life, I play a key role, but that doesn’t mean the story is about me. As in your story, the main character in my story is God.

We’ll both do well to remember that.

A couple days ago, we took a look at the first part of Mark 5 where Jesus has crossed a lake and is immediately approached by a demon-possessed man. You can read that post here. Today, we’ll look at the second part of Mark 5 and what happens when Jesus travels back across the lake. Read the story here.

As soon as Jesus arrives, He’s met by a man named Jairus, who pleads with Him to come heal his 12-year-old daughter who is dying. Jesus agrees to go with him.

On the way, a large crowd presses in on Jesus and a woman who has been bleeding for 12 years touches Jesus’ cloak in an attempt to be healed. Immediately, she’s healed and knows it. Jesus knows it, too, and begins looking for whoever touched Him.

Realizing she can’t hide, the woman confesses it was her and tells Jesus the whole story. He tells her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

In the meantime, some men come to tell Jairus his daughter has died. Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” Jesus continues on to his house and heals the little girl.

A few observations…

Put yourself in the position of the woman who’s been bleeding for 12 years. That’s a long time to suffer with a physical ailment. She’s spent all her money, but no one has been able to help her. Instead, she’s gotten worse.

Now here comes Jesus. She’s heard about Him and hopes that if she can just touch his cloak, she’ll be healed. And of course we know that it works. She’s healed. No more suffering.

But what if Jesus hadn’t come by? What if she lived 20 miles away?

We’ve got to figure that she prayed hard for healing for a very long time. And yet, year after year, she continued to suffer. It’s not until Jesus walks by that she’s healed.

We need to remember, the story is not about the woman. The story is about Jesus. It’s now time for His public ministry.

Maybe you’ve been suffering for a long time. Your prayers have gone unanswered. You feel like the woman who’s been bleeding for 12 years and can’t understand why God won’t work more quickly like He did when He raised the little girl.

I wish I had an easy answer for you, but I don’t. I do know that God hasn’t forgotten you or turned a deaf ear to your cries. He is at work in the midst of your pain and confusion. He’s there. He’s working out His will. His grace is sufficient. Keep seeking Him. Keep crying out.

I find it interesting that the little girl who dies and was raised to life was born at about the same time the woman started bleeding. Bleeding for 12 years seems like a very long time, but a little girl who dies at the age of 12 is way too young to die.

The woman would have told us that 12 years seems like forever. Jairus would have told us that 12 years passed in the blink of an eye. Suffering and our perspective on life’s circumstances is relative. Try not to ever discount someone else’s circumstances or pain. They may not be suffering according to your definition, but yours isn’t the one that always matters.

Then there’s Jesus’ reaction and the words He speaks to Jairus after the men inform him that his daughter is dead. Jesus ignored the news about her death and told Jairus to not be afraid, but to believe.

Sometimes the best thing to do with bad news is ignore it. Our God is Lord over this life. He’s even Lord over death. There’s nothing He can’t do. He has no limits. There are no obstacles in His way.

Did you hear about the family who was about to lose their home in foreclosure? They were packing up to move out and found a Superman comic book from 1938 in the basement. It’s estimated to be worth $250,000. The mortgage company is letting them stay in the house until the actual value of the comic book can be determined.

You may not find a valuable comic book in your basement, but you have something better. The One who created you and loves you already sees your every need and how He’s going to meet them. Like Jairus, you don’t need to fear, only believe.

When you’re living by faith, prepare to laughed at. Jesus was laughed at by people who didn’t think He could do anything to help a girl who was already dead. You’ll to be laughed at as well.

When you tell your friends or family how you’re trusting God to provide a job or a baby or healing or whatever, just be prepared. Be prepared for the laughter, the eye rolls, the critical comments or questions or even just a tone of voice.

Most people are not walking by faith. They’re walking by sight. The idea of stepping out on a limb where the only One who can come through for you is God is a foreign concept for most people. Even for most people who are in church on Sunday. Their goal is not a life of adventure trusting in God, it’s a safe, secure existence where faith is never needed.

One final reminder–much of our lives will make more sense when we remember God is the main character. It’s normal to desire more pleasant circumstances, but when they don’t come, we have to remember that our part in the story is to live in friendship with the Main Character and point others to Him.

Often, that is best accomplished when we’re trusting Him in the midst of our difficulties.