Faith requires a change in perspective.
Not just a theoretical understanding, but a literal everyday, purposeful, acted out change in perspective. A person of faith is unequivocally different from someone whose faith never moves beyond an idea.
It's easy to be daunted by the task of becoming a person of faith, but all you need to start the process is the faith the size of a mustard seed (Matt 17:20). The great thing about this is that God has already planted that faith inside of us--it's an innate faith, so the real task then is to recognize it and act on it.
I can't say I've met a lot of people whom I would consider to be people of faith, but the ones that had a strong faith walk definitely stand out. They were unique for many reasons, but mainly because they had a sense of humility, peace, and gentleness that made you feel blessed just to be near them. They also used their various spiritual gifts, recognized the gifts in others, and worked to nurture them. Many of these people lived somewhat nomadic lives--which ironically fits in with the great faith leaders in the Bible, but others, who may not have traveled far, seemed to be a healing presence in their local communities. And yet, with all these phenomenal qualities, I can't say that any of the people of faith that I have known were always well appreciated, accepted, or recognized. In fact, now that I think about it, they were often more loved by those outside of the church than those within it. This is how it should be, this is how it was for Jesus during His life on Earth. In fact, Jesus warned His followers that "All nations will hate you because you are my followers . . . Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names!" (Matt 10:22, 24-25 NLT).
Anyone who knows me well, knows that I generally choose to avoid conflict if possible. I also have the tendency to always want to do whatever I can to make everyone happy. So why am I even considering a faith walk that is guaranteed to place me in the middle of all kinds of battle zones and make plenty of people unhappy?
It's all about a change of perspective. In a previous blog, I talked about faith being an other-worldly quality--it's an experience that requires one to engage in the spiritual realm, to step outside of the five primary senses and claim what might logically and scientifically would be nonsense.
Part of building one's faith comes from making a personal connection with God as a father figure (I will address this more in a future blog). As one grows to understand the nature of God's love and grace, one cannot help but be moved to respond with love and gratitude. This is where the perspective begins to change. For if someone does begin to truly see how blessed they are, how intimately involved God is in their past, present, and future, they will most certainly begin to see their lives in a state of thankfulness. So much so that they will begin to see trials as an opportunity to praise because they are confident of God's hand already delivering them.
It is profoundly odd to find someone expressing joy in the midst of dire circumstances. Many might even say that such a person belongs in a mental institution. However, the truth is, that when a person exercises faith he/she immediately embarks on eternal life (Luke 17:21). A soul committed to God is immortal even though the body may die. People of faith live with this knowledge embedded into their minds and hearts. It is this quality that causes people of faith to walk differently--their behavior speaks volumes. As St. Francis of Assisi put it "Preach the gospel always, and when absolutely necessary, use words".
Paul was a unique man of faith. God had to do a real piece of work on him, though. Before Paul accepted Jesus as God, he was a major promoter of genocide against all Christians. Talk about a man who experienced a turn around. But maybe that was why God was able to use Paul so extensively. Maybe it was the profound grace that Paul encountered that compelled him to go to foreign lands and cultures and share that grace.
Living, breathing, walking, and preaching his faith had a high price. Paul was often beaten, imprisoned, disowned, and on the run for his life. Ironically, Paul became the very thing he had once passionately destroyed. Paul was the "mother" of prodigal sons after all.
No one would blame Paul if he complained about being tortured, hungry, or on the run. No one would fault him if he had thrown in the towel after a while and retired to a peaceful life in the country somewhere. But, while Paul probably had his moments, he made it a point to say that such suffering was a privilege. In a letter to the Christians in Corinth, Paul writes of a conversation he had with God about his troubles and how God's response changed Paul's perspective: "he [God] said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong
(2 Cor. 12:9-10).
Paul wasn't the only follower of Jesus to express such ideas. Peter, one of Jesus' closest disciples, writes the following in one of his letters:
"Now we live with a wonderful expectation because Jesus Christ rose again from the dead. For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And God, in his mighty power, will protect you until you receive this salvation, because you are trusting him. It will be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world" (1 Peter 1:3b-7 NLT).
James, the half-brother of Jesus Christ who didn't come into a faith walk with Christ until after the crucifixion and resurrection, also writes on this topic:
"Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything (James 1:2-4 NLT).
One of my favorite examples of expressing joy in the midst of trials occurs in Acts 16:11-35. Paul and his traveling companion, Silas, were staying in Philippi. While there, a demon-possessed girl kept following and taunting them. Finally, exasperated, Paul turned and cast the demon out of the girl. Her owners made quite a bit of money off of the girl because the demon prophesied through her, so they were very angry to lose an easy source of income. The girl's owners had Paul and Silas brought before the authorities. While their crime was being explained to the authorities, a voracious mob formed; they stripped Paul and Silas naked and beat them with wooden rods. Afterwards, they were both thrown in jail, and just to make sure that they didn't escape, they were placed in the inner dungeon with their feet in stocks. Paul and Silas must've been incredibly exhausted and in great pain, but instead of sleeping or crying, they began to pray and sing hymns. It was a full-on praise and worship service. The Bible makes a point of stating that the other prisoners were listening. Songs of praise must've been extremely unusual in such a setting. As Paul and Silas prayed and sang, I'm sure that their spirits began to revive, so that before long, they were in such a state of worship that nothing else mattered. God was so pleased by their praise, that He caused an earthquake that made all the chains fall off of every prisoner and every door fling open. When the jailer rushed to see what was going on, he found the doors wide open. Terrified that all the prisoners had fled, he drew his sword to take his own life. He was stopped by Paul's cry announcing that no one had left the prison. Such shocking behavior made such a great impact on the jailer that he and his entire family became Christians.
Such faith requires a practiced change in perspective. Instead of making a mountain out of everything that goes wrong, God's people should open up their treasure chests that are already brimming with blessings, confidently expecting that God will shower them with even more blessings. Such undeserved favor and love from God must inspire praise.
So I'm challenging myself to praise in the midst of the storm. How will I ever expect to walk on water otherwise?
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