January 30, 2025
Do you ever struggle with your faith? Are there times when it just seems too difficult? Times you want to ditch it and be like everyone else? Times you want to forget all about God and Jesus and living a Christian life and instead embrace the values and beliefs of everyone else at the office? Or none at all?
Of course you do. We all do. That’s part of being human. We know it would be wrong, but it would be so much easier than being right.
Abraham and Sarah were human, too. They, too, must have gotten tired of waiting. The promise was taking sooo looong! They must have been tempted to forget the cryptic God who had convinced them to leave their native country and go to an unknown land. They must have wanted to turn their back on God and adopt the idols and customs of the pagans surrounding them. Surely, they did. It would be only human.
But except for the one instance of Hagar and Ishmael, they did not. Otherwise, they remained true to God and God’s call.
When we find ourselves stumbling under the burden of faith, it’s helpful to remember we’re not the first to stumble. Even Abraham and Sarah turned away from God!
But it’s also good to remember that they regained their balance. They steadied themselves and continued walking humbly with their God. And if they could do it, we can, too.
When the journey of faith is too burdensome, when it seems like the load is just too heavy and it would be so easy to be like everyone else, that’s the time to turn to Hebrews, Chapter 11. That’s the time to reread the stories of the ordinary men and women who stayed faithful, even in the most trying circumstances.
From time-to-time, we all struggle with our faith. That’s human. And that’s the time to look to our role models in faith, who were also human, for guidance and inspiration.
God’s peace to us all,
Pastor Ken.