I have a confession….I don’t much like TV preachers.
They typically proclaim a gospel that is neat and tidy where we are in control of God with our slick formulas. If you do this…God will have to do this. We are not only encouraged, but pushed into believing if you are not living victoriously, (by that meaning you don’t have it all together), you’re not doing something right. You begin to wonder,”What’s wrong with me?”
The thing is…life is not that neat and tidy.
I don’t see once Jesus calling us to victory. I DO see the call to obedience, even when it doesn’t make sense. There is a call to walk in humility, acknowledging our truly impoverished condition, (coming up short and knowing it) recognizing our dependence; realizing that we in and of ourselves are incapable of doing anything that will last, and standing in need of His grace and receiving His truth into our hearts.
I am inclined to believe it’s okay that there are questions left unanswered. I am more comfortable knowing that our relationships are not what they’re supposed to be; we’re not what we’re supposed to be. Too often we are uncomfortable with anything that we cannot bring to a conclusion.
Faith isn’t like the 30 minute sitcoms. At the end of our day there are still loose ends. Our pregnant daughter is still pregnant. There’s still emotions left dangling. We’re still mad at our husband and we are still living with this nagging sense we just don’t measure up.
Yet it’s in the middle and muddle of life, that our faith is lived out. Many times the healing doesn’t come. The health isn’t restored. But this is where the Spirit of God beacons us to come. This is where His Word to US comes alive and we find true hope and true strength. His Word truly becomes our daily bread and His Spirit becomes OUR “Comforter.” We realize only when we let go of the death grip we have to be in charge of our own lives, and place ourselves into submission to His will, do we truly live.
Gail Johnsen 