Expressions of Faith
Trying to reach your goals and wondering where faith comes in? Smaller yet more consistent splashes maintain the ripple effect more than a big splash every once in a while.
In the world of life coaching, action steps are expressions of commitment to our goals. No coaching session should end without some kind of intentional action toward a stated goal. Coaching clients who do their homework and follow through reach higher levels of growth and success.
Our faith works the same way. It becomes useless and lifeless without expression.
Faith expressing itself in love, the apostle Paul says, is a clear sign that we are allowing God to rule our hearts. When I was younger, these expressions of faith were more life-altering because they were big decisions that would forever change the course of my life: going to college, choosing my life partner, landing on a career choice, moving my family overseas...
As I age and mature, however, I'm learning that the smaller, seemingly less significant choices have just as great, if not greater impact over time. And guess what? It takes more faith to live in obscurity, doing the right thing even when nobody around us notices. Smaller yet more consistent splashes maintain the ripple effect more than a big splash every once in a while.
Think about it. What do you want to accomplish? How can you reach your goal(s) through consistent and intentional choices? What kind of expression can you give to your faith today?
…the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself in love.
-Galatians 5:6
When God Hides
Does God ever intentionally seek to elude us by going down some rabbit trail, a path familiar to him, yet strange to us with its twists and turns?
“Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior.” -Isaiah 45:15 ESV
My dog can become frantic when she loses the scent of a rabbit or some other creature trying to elude her. With her nose to the ground she zig-zags through through the overgrown brush and weeds seeking the scent which originally started her on her quest.
Does God ever intentionally seek to elude us by going down some rabbit trail, a path familiar to him, yet strange to us with its twists and turns? If so, how are we to handle these seasons of God "hiding"? And how can we coach others through these times, helping them to maintain perspective and hope?
Personally, I've come to seasons in life when God seems to be hiding, distant and beyond reach. I somehow lose the "scent" which attracted me to His call in the beginning. At one point I was hot on the trail, only to discover the place or situation I now find myself in is disturbingly void of His presence. Doubt invading my heart and mind, I wonder, Was I chasing the wrong thing altogether?
Much of the confusion we deal with when God seems to be hiding is connected to our perspective. The following tips can help us and our clients discover that God is not playing a cruel game of hide and seek, nor has He forgotten. Rather, God's hiding is:
1. Temporary- This is a simple yet powerful reminder when one is feeling ignored by God. Some good coaching questions may be, How have seasons similar to the one you're now experiencing turned out in the past? In what ways have you known God to be faithful? What hopeful outcome can you envision on the other side of this trial?
2. An Invitation- When God seems absent, I like to think that He is inviting us into His own version of "hide and seek." A disillusioned individual may need to be reminded of God's invitation with questions such as, In this challenging season, what new thing might God be inviting you into? What about His character is he waiting to show you?
3. Purposeful- Upon receiving word that Lazarus was sick and dying, Jesus stayed away two more days (John 11:6). From this and other examples in scripture we see that God, at times, denies our cries for immediate relief in order to accomplish His greater purposes. Our clients may be challenged by the question, How might God want to use His silence in your life now in order to fulfill His greater purposes later?
Let's Never Forget
Whether the trail has become cold due to some wrong turn of our own, or whether God is purposely staying out of sight for a time, one thing is sure: He is never far off. He may hide, but He has promised to never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6).
Photo Source: Bill Buckley, fieldandstream.com
The Payoff of Persistence
A little more persistence could be just what we need to make steady progress toward our goals and dreams. Often, the assumption is that doing more and going faster are the answers. Persistence with payoff, however, must be grounded in the substance of rest, reflection, and a good dose of play from time to time.
Scripture Focus: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28
Slugs and Snails are abundant here in Istanbul. Until recently, I thought they were confined to the lower realms. Those tenacious little creatures have proven me wrong. One day last week my daughter and I marveled at a little snail which had managed to make its way up to our 2nd story kitchen window. Who says snails don't long for a higher realm, a place to catch a glimpse of something other than dirt and weeds? A bit of fresh air?
A few days later as I crawled out of bed and made my way to the bathroom, I almost stepped on a big slug meandering across the parquet floor. I was bewildered as to how a slug made it up to the third floor of my home AND managed to creep its way indoors! I must give credit to Istanbul slugs and snails for their persistence.
A little more persistence could be just what we need to make steady progress toward our goals and dreams. Often, the assumption is that doing more and going faster are the answers. Persistence with payoff, however, must be grounded in the substance of rest, reflection, and a good dose of play from time to time. This is one important aspect of self-care, giving us the staying power we need to make it to the finish line.
The slug, as it moves along, secretes a layer of mucus that it travels on, which helps prevent damage to the foot tissues (Yes, slugs do have feet!). Similarly, intentional time-outs for rest and reflection protect our souls from burnout. Like the snail confined to the ground, sometimes we lose heart, hope and strength because we fail to see the forest through the trees. Could it be time to step back, find a place of rest, and see from a new vantage point? What might God be waiting to show us? To give us?
Thought for the Day: Persistence which God rewards is grounded in rest.
Prayer: Jesus, as You invite me to come, You offer the enticement of rest. I accept Your invitation to enter into Your rest today. Help me to draw from your strength and grace in order to accomplish the work you've given me to do.
Image Source from the story Slugs and Snails by Jenny Blackford
