“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13
Hurt.
Anger.
Anxiety.
Sadness.
Irritation.
Bitterness.
Exhaustion.
Disappointment.
This year. All of this. And more.
We all are feeling so much. Raw feelings. Validated feelings.
Waiting for everything to get better. To feel better. To know better.
Because we have faith.
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
Because we have faith, our hope is justified. Our hope is not full of wishes. Our hope is in God. Hope for joy. Hope for good. Hope in His love. Hope in this life as well as life eternal.
Wouldn’t it be nice if it were just that easy? It is, but it isn’t.
In our struggles, we sometimes want to question God. We want to understand, and we don’t. We want our suffering to disappear. We might even think that God isn’t listening, that He doesn’t care, or that He just isn’t near.
We want to believe because He is good, that He would not allow us to ever experience sorrow, heartache, or hurt. However, that is not part of His promise to us. We live in a broken world. Let me say that again. Our world is broken, not our God! And so, what we can count on is that He has promised to always be with us. In the brokenness, in the sorrow, in the heartache, or hurt, He walks with us, hand in hand. He has gone before us, making a way for His plan for us. He doesn’t expect us to understand; He wants us to have faith that He’s got this.
Knowing this can help give us peace in the midst of our pain. We can choose joy because we have this hope. We can call on Him.
But one thing we have to remember is that when we call on Him, Satan also hears our pleas. And, if we are not focused on God’s promise and if we are not seeking Him in all we do, we will hear what Satan is screaming at us instead.
When God says you are enough because you are His, Satan says you are never enough.
When God says trust Him, Satan says there must be something wrong with you.
When God says love, Satan says you can rationalize the hate.
When God says lean on Him, Satan says you are all alone.
When God says do not be afraid, Satan says live in fear.
When God says I give you my truth, Satan says my lies make sense.
God takes what Satan intends for harm, and He turns it into goodness.
He turns it into what looks like reconciliation with loved ones.
He turns it into what feels like hugs that touch your soul.
He turns it into what sounds like unexpected sweet expressions to lift your spirits.
He turns it into what looks like a stunning sky reminding you it will be ok after a devastating storm.
He turns it into what sounds like belly laughs from friends getting together once again.
He turns it into what feels like rest when your heart is weary.
He turns it into what sounds like inspiration after adversity.
He turns it into love. Time and time again.
The Good News this during this holiday season and ever more is that we serve, we worship, and we praise a God who graciously gave us His son in the midst of a broken world because of His great love for us. And, He continues to shower us with His love, His mercy, and His grace.
So, as I enter the Christmas craziness with my students who will be way more excited than focus this week, with the treasure of my three girls being home, and with all the joyous gatherings of family and friends, I am counting my blessings. I am keeping my eyes focused on God’s goodness, despite the struggles being thrown at me. I pray that you, my friends, are able to do the same, and you can experience hope, faith, and especially love as we celebrate the birth of our Savior in the coming weeks.
Merriest of Christmases and Happiest of New Years to you!