On Saturday evening I received a Mothers Day email from my daughter Amy thanking me for “always helping me see my circumstances through the lens of faith.” This touched me profoundly because I realized that what Amy expressed is truly my motivation in writing to all of you. It is also the basis of helping the women I am privileged to counsel. To be able to view life, no matter what befalls us, with the Hope that is ours in Christ is a very practical and life-changing objective.
Of course, the key to rightly viewing our circumstances “through the lens of faith” requires that we align our faith with the wisdom and perspective of God through the Scriptures:
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (II Timothy 3:16, 17)
Isn’t this exactly what we need, the very breath of God speaking to our minds and hearts as we honor Christ with our lives? The challenge for us is in receiving what God has for us in the Bible with teachable and humble hearts. Consider what Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew 5: 6-8,
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”Learning to view life through the lens of faith is not something that just “happens.” It requires that we “hunger and thirst” for all that God has for us. It also means that we rely not on the “court of public opinion” for how we make decisions, but on the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit as we search the Scriptures for the wisdom we need. It also means that we not be run by our emotions. Instead, we take our hurts to God through prayer as He ministers to our needs. I am grateful for the years of Bible study and the faithful teaching and preaching from the pulpit I have received. They have encouraged me to personalize and apply the Scripture’s teaching in my daily life. I am also thankful for the disappointments and sorrows I have experienced, because through them God has proven Himself to be faithful as He shepherded my heart. Through this I have learned that even when life is hard God is always Good.
I share this to encourage each of you to commit to developing an accurate “view of life through the lens of faith” as you not only study the Scriptures but also intentionally apply what God teaches you. God “breathed out” His Word in order to bless us, but we cannot receive that blessing without investing ourselves in it. Happy digging!
All to His Glory!
HisGlory SM 