Trusting Him.

Trusting in the Lord has never been an easy task for me. I am a worrier. I catch myself worrying about the most ridiculous things, too. Things that are so far out of my control. Sometimes I think I even worry BECAUSE things are out of my control. As I've grown older, I've learned that this trait runs in the family. My mother almost immediately thinks the worst when I don't return her phone calls, and my grandmother is in a worry-category all her own.

At first I thought that I might not be the best person to write about trusting, as the Father and I are still working on this. But I think a lot of people struggle with it, and it will hopefully be helpful to share what I use to get me past worrying and onto trusting.

One of my most favorite verses is Matthew 6:25-27 which says,

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"

Every time I read this I come back to the realization that worrying does nothing for me. Now, this doesn't mean that I should be indifferent to life. There is a fine line between caring and worrying. I think some people take this passage to mean that we shouldn't even think about the future, things that will matter to us in time. But that is not the message I gain from this. I will need food, water, clothes, etc. They are important things, and I should do my part to attain them. But the Lord is the ULTIMATE provider. The things we need come from Him and no one else. He is in control. He is THE ONE. 

I've found myself lost in thought, surrounded with worries, in times when nothing seems to be working, nothing is going in the way I would like. And then I refer to another of my favorite verses. 

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

    neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the Lord.

9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,

    so are my ways higher than your ways

    and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55:8-9

Our Heavenly Father is so much higher than all of us. He knows so much more. When things don't go in the way I had hoped, sometimes I am angry. I ask God "why did you do this?" or "why didn't you come through for me?". And it's ok to be angry or frustrated, but this verse says that God is always thinking of the bigger picture. He has something else in mind, something BETTER. Which brings me to another of my favorite verses. 

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Romans 8:28

How comforting is that? Our Heavenly Father will work EVERYTHING for our good! We have the God of the Universe on our side, always looking to help us and bring us joy. And once I realize this, once I have received this "big hug" from the Father, I know I don't have to worry. I never have to worry. God's got it. 

In Christ,
Makena Cummings 

The Gospel

Many Christians use the word gospel, but how many actually know what the word gospel means?  We as Christians make a habit of throwing around Christian words that sound cool, but if we were honest…we have no idea what these words truly mean.  The Gospel means good news…that:

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”  -2^nd Corinthians 5:21

Growing up I always heard the phrase "love the sinner, hate the sin".  As I have grown in my relationship with Christ I have realized Jesus never said such a thing.  As a matter of fact it was Gandhi who uttered those words.  Like most people, this realization was shocking and tough to wrestle with.  The Bible says that we are born in sin and inherently sinful in nature. (Psalm 51:5, Ephesian 2:3)  We do not have a choice on our human nature.  We are inherently born against God.  In order to prove this let me ask some questions.  Do you have to teach a baby to be selfish?   What is one of the first words a baby ever says?....mine.  Have you ever known something was wrong but you did it anyways?  Afterwards you told yourself you would never do that again, only to do it again a short time after that.  Because God is holy, perfect, and righteous the Bible says that he hates sin.  So, because God hates sin and sin is our inner nature….yep you guessed it.  At this point red flags are going up in your head, but I ask that you stay with me.  God’s wrathful nature is not something our culture likes to talk about, but if we don’t first recognize God’s wrathful nature we will never recognize his loving nature.  In the most popular Bible verse known to man the Bible says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

So am I saying that God both hates and loves sinners?  Yes, yes I am.  The greatest news that the earth has ever heard is found in Romans 5:8 which says, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Because God is just and holy somebody has to pay the penalty.  God has given us a moral law and we all have broken his moral law time and time again.  God cannot allow sin into heaven.  He demands perfection and we deserve God’s wrath.  The great news of the gospel is that Jesus has satisfied the wrath of God.  In Luke 22: 42 before Jesus goes to the cross he says, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me.”  What cup? God’s wrath.  Fast forward to Jesus hanging on the cross.  In John 19:30 Jesus says arguable the three most important words in human history.  “It is Finished”  What is finished?  God’s wrath.  The cup of his wrath was overfilling and God in his love for humanity chose to pour out every bit of his wrath onto his son.  Jesus finished the cup.

 So does God hate sinners? Yep.  Does God love sinners? Yep. He loves them so much that he chose to pour out all his wrath on his perfect and blameless son, so that you can have a personal relationship with him.

This means that when you turn from your sin and turn to Jesus Christ you don’t have to worry about where you will go when you die anymore.  Jesus said he came to give life and life to the full.  The gospel is good news for unbelievers and believers.  The gospel is freedom. 

So, if you have trusted in Christ for your salvation God sees you as perfect, spotless, and blameless in his sight.  It is not because of anything that you have done but all because of what Christ has done for you.  He took your place.  You no longer have to worry because Romans 8:33 says “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?  It is God who justifies.”  Galations 2:20 says, “It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.”  Colossians 1:12 says that you have been qualified, delivered, transferred, redeemed, all because God loved you enough to come and die in your place despite everything you have ever done against him.  That is a supernatural love.  A supernatural love that when understood properly creates a love for God that allows you to follow God and his commandments out of love, not begrudging submission.

If you are struggling with God’s love for you, realize that he loves the version of you right now, not some future perfect version.  It is ok to admit your weakness and struggles before God.  That is what the cross of Christ is all about.  Keep pushing, keep fighting, keep moving forward.  God knew you were going to be messy, he knew it would take time.  Trust in his power not your own.  In and of yourself you cannot overcome the sin in your life but In Christ you can do all things through him who strengthens you.  If you ever doubt his love for you just look at the cross.

Jesus earned God’s approval for me so I can stop trying to

Jesus was Strong for me so I can be weak

Jesus was Someone so I can be no one

Jesus was extra ordinary so I can be ordinary

Jesus succeeded for me so I am free to fail

Jesus won for me so I am free to lose

Take time to think on this today…

What's Your God Given Talent?

And Are You Being A Faithful Steward?

         

   It does not take much searching to see how much God has blessed us. As American college students we are privileged well above many other people in our region, not to mention the world, and all of our blessings and gifts flow directly from God. Something I tend to lose sight of is this divine source of my gifts and how I was intended to use them. By breaking down the Parable of the Talents, I think we can get a better understanding of what God has given us and what He expects us to do with it.

            The Parable of the Talents is found in Matthew 25:14-30:

¹⁴  “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants^[a] and entrusted to them his property. ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents,^[b] to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.¹⁶ He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. ¹⁷ So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. ¹⁸ But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. ¹⁹ Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’²¹ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.^[c] You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ ²² And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’²³ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ ²⁴ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, ²⁵ so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ ²⁶ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? ²⁷ Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸ So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. ²⁹  For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. ³⁰ And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

            In this parable, there are two types of servants that the master has entrusted with his riches: The Faithful Servants and The “Other” Servant. It’s not hard to tell that clearly we are supposed to resemble the Faithful Servant, but how exactly would somebody “invest their talents” for the benefit of God’s glory? (As a side note, a “talent” in the parable is a type of money. So the “talents” I am referring to could be any gift from God: public speaking skills, artistic talents, financial situation, bow hunting ability, etc.) By examining the attributes of each servant, it should paint a better picture of what we should be doing with God’s gifts.

            First off, the Faithful Servants went to work immediately. They didn’t sit around complaining about how they wish they had received more talents or how “Bobby’s talents look cooler”; they “went at once” to multiply their master’s fortune. Not only did they act promptly, but they were also good stewards of what they received by using them in favor of their master. In 1 Peter 4:10 it says, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” That should pretty blatantly answer one question. You were meant to love one another with your gifts so that it would bring glory to God’s kingdom. A good example of this could be anything from offering people rides somewhere, to taking someone a meal—if you’re a good cook.

            Another desirable attribute of the Faithful Servants was that they were working for the sole benefit of the master. Their master didn’t say that they were going to be rewarded for expanding his wealth, but they used what they were given to the best of their ability regardless. Fortunately for them, they were rewarded even though they weren’t told beforehand: “I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” Fortunately for us, we will also be rewarded with God’s kingdom for our faithful stewardship and we are being told (through this passage!). That being said, it is not our stewardship or the use of our gifts that earns us the Kingdom, faithful stewardship is just evidence of a child of God. It is easy to be misguided by focusing on your gifts as well. So, rather than trying to achieve happiness, we should happily achieve for the glory of God and we will be filled with joy from the Spirit.

            The “Other” Servant that was cast “into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,” looked a little different when he was given his talents, clearly. He was immediately fearful and anxious about what his master had trusted him with and he hid his talents in the ground. This is NOT what God wants you to do with your outgoing personality or your basket weaving skills. This ungodly fear is what cripples us into hiding God’s gifts rather than sharing them and making God smile accordingly. And not only is the other servant fearful, but he is lazy and selfish for not investing for his master knowing that the master was a hard man.

            The truth is that these are not set roles and that as Christians we don’t ever fully embody one servant or the other. We will constantly struggle with the presence of pride when recognizing our gifts and try to attribute them to ourselves. In reality, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” James 1:17. Although it sounds Sunday School-esque, we must constantly remind ourselves where our gifts came from and ask God how to use them by praying and reading the Bible daily. One gift in particular that God has entrusted with every one of us is the message of the Gospel, and God has even been more blunt about the need to share it with everyone. A great way to think about it is that God gave us very specific talents, gifts and passions so that we would be more capable of sharing the Gospel with very specific people He put in our lives. In doing this He will look down upon us with a beaming smile and say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

            It’s also crucial to also understand that the use of God’s gifts will not get us the Kingdom of Heaven, but faith and trust in Christ alone will bring us salvation. Read Ephesians 2:1-10 for more clarification.

            Some questions for reflection:

1.     What gifts has the Lord entrusted me with?

2.     Am I being a faithful steward of these “talents”?

3.     How can I become a better steward for Christ?

Written by Kevin Walker