Sustaining Faith

   Over the past few weeks I have been dealing with a lot of issues within my own life. I find more and more that I lack in so many areas in my life. It’s hard to see past my own pitfalls. This cycle of self-entrapment and condemnation is quite tiring in all honestly. Because I took my eye off the cross in self-pity, my time spent in prayer and the word has plummeted to an all-time low (post salvation that is).

   Even as an adult, I still fall victim to emotional highs. Even though Christ truly works in those moments, I find myself having a twisted view of reality. Of course when sin is exposed it is meant to be dealt with, but there’s not a magic recipe for a blanket fix. I have time and time again, sought that blanket fix for my life. 

   Yet, God doesn’t operate like that. If the greatest church plant and most influential man to post-resurrection biblical history has to deal with “thorns in his side”, how could I be exempt.  How could I be so vein to even entertain the idea that God would take away my thorns before I have learned.

   Today I found myself looking to 1 Corinthians. Like all good things, I started at the beginning. There have been numerous times I have read this chapter and still received confirmation about what I previously interpreted. But, today was different though.

   Today it was like I was given new eyes. Looking at this chapter I found more reassurance than anything. Verses 4-9 were like getting hit in the face after miss-catching a football throw.

  “ who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”- 1 Corinthian 1:8

 Sustain. Do I truly believe that? We sing songs about an intimacy with God and we have sermons explaining God’s character to us, but do I lean on that truth when things get tough. To be honest, in all of the times I have read that passage, that verse has never captured my attention like it has today.

  Just like with every good and perfect gift God allows me to experience, it is still hard for me to fully grasp his good intentions toward such a sinful person.

  But, He is faithful. In the midst of my current disposition, there is someone looking out for me. From the moment I received that call out of my darkness to every mountain top experience back down to the valleys. He always sustains me.