The Goods

 I have a question in my prayer journal, asked by A.W. Tozer. He asks, "Are we silencing the scoffers? We'll only do it by being what we are created to be, by being in possession of 'the goods.' We're to embody His rest, peace, strength, and presence." 

That's a really convicting and piercing question. Who are we in the midst of the pressures of life? How do we deal with the unexpected crisis? How do we respond to suffering, loss, and....failure? When we feel disappointed, especially by God, what do we do? We live in a fallen world, so all of us who take the name of Christ will experience these things. What do the witnesses of this world see when we do, especially those who scoff at and ridicule our faith? Do we exhibit peace in the storm? Maybe we've told some of them that they can have His peace in their life storms. Do they see us to be in possession of that peace? The same goes for having His joy, His strength, and the grace that allows us to experience it all with a dignity only He can give us. How we walk through our own dark valleys will be the only means we have of shutting the mouths of the lions of this world. The scoffers, the mockers, the unbelievers.

Then there is another crowd of witnesses. Hebrews speaks of the great cloud of witnesses in heaven who are beholding the living out of our faith. I confess that I don't fully understand what that "looks like," but I like to think that they are somehow cheering us on, exhorting us to stay the course, finish the journey, and do so by bringing honor to His name. If this is so, in the hard places of our lives, are we giving them anything to cheer about?

The last witness is the One who matters most, our 3 in 1 God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. What are they witnessing? Are we glorifying them in the midst of our personal struggles and pain, or do we diminish them in our complaining, anger, and resentment of our trials? I believe it was Augustine who said that the chief end of man was to glorify God. It's in the hardest places that we have the greatest opportunity to do so. Are we?

Like I said, these questions convict and pierce us. Will we close mouths by how we live for Him in the midst of the storm, the darkness, the trial, or just add to their scorn, making them think, by our actions, that our God isn't real? Because we don't really have.....the goods.

Blessings,
Pastor O