The Resilient Christian, Part 8
Americans tend to be pretty gullible, at least when it comes to “as seen on tv” products. Knives that can cut through metal, machines that build six-pack abdomens with no exercise, and pans to which nothing will stick are a sampling of what is offered. Many of these products play on the desire for ease; they offer the desired outcome with little effort. If we are not careful, we may want the same type of faith.
Faith is sometimes sold in a style similar to “made for tv” products. The sales pitch is spectacular, the results seem wonderful, and the journey appears to be easy. While Jesus does say His “yoke is easy and His burden is light,” it is still a yoke and burden and a person of faith who believes otherwise will not remain a person of faith for very long. The journey of faith demands resilience when hard times come. This type of attitude was well illustrated by the prophet Habakkuk who, in his short book of prophecy, concluded with the following: “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places” (3:17-19).
The question of whether the times in which we are living are “hard” may be left to historians to answer. Still, for a generation largely untested by hardship, the times present their challenges. Most have never faced combat, sent loved ones to a distant land to fight, faced economic depression, dealt with widespread illness, or witnessed rioting in the streets. Few if any Christians have previously faced disruption in the ability to worship together. This certainly has the potential to shake our faith if we believe the journey of faith is an easy one. Blaming God, castigating fellow-Christians with different political views, or simply giving up are options some have chosen to explore. However, we must prove that we are of tougher stock than this. Faith must be strong enough to withstand, no matter how bleak the present circumstances may appear.
As the apostle Paul drew near to the end of his life, he stated, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (II Timothy 4:7). Fights leave us bloody and bruised, and races leave us weary. If anyone could testify to this in the spiritual sense it was Paul; yet, throughout it all, his faith remained intact. Paul was human just as we are; however, Paul was resilient and in both good and hard times, his faith remained steadfast. His faith did not rest on undeliverable promises but on the God of Heaven. Paul survived, and so can we.
