Messy Faith

 

Most people who know me, my family for sure, know I do not deal with chaos and disorder in a godly way. I love a clean, organized, home. It is who I am. 

However, my faith is not that way. I completely understand, because I have lived it, that a life of faith is sometimes very MESSY!

When we commit our lives to Christ, get baptized, read God's word, pray continually, and commit to doing the will of God, life can still get VERY MESSY! A drug addict who commits his/her life to the Lord still lives with the consequences of the past. This is especially true in the life of a new believer. I often see people who are searching, people who are growing in their faith, trying to understand what it means to live a life close to the Lord attacked the hardest. 

Anything Satan can do to plant the seed of doubt, to question our faith, to test our resolve to follow the Lord, he will try. The drug addict will be tempted by things of the past, friends, places, and life challenges. A family struggling with finances doesn't have their problems instantly disappear when they accept a life with Jesus. Young believers lose their jobs, they still have broken family relationships, and they still have financial problems. 

When we commit to Jesus, life doesn't all of a sudden become, neat, clean, and organized. Life for a Christ follower can be MESSY. 

So, what's the use?

Listen to the words of Isaiah:

"O storm-battered city, troubled and desolate! I will rebuild you with precious jewels and make your foundations from lapis lazuli. I will make your towers of sparkling rubies, your gates of shining gems, and your walls of precious stones. I will teach all your children, and they will enjoy great peace. You will be secure under a government that is just and fair. Your enemies will stay far away. You will live in peace, and terror will not come near. If any nation comes to fight you, it is not because I sent them. Whoever attacks you will go down to defeat."

When Isaiah shared this with Jerusalem and the nation of Israel, he didn't say God would keep them from the chaos of this world. He said, "YES" you will be attacked. Your life is going to be messy. BUT, when you are attacked, and it will happen, YOU WILL BE VICTORIOUS!  We who follow the Lord are guaranteed a HOPE that is beyond all we can imagine. God will remain with us through the storm and He will help us to see VICTORY. When we see the other side of the storms, troubles, and attacks, we will rebuild better than ever before. Our families will reap the rewards and our lives will be at peace. After Israel was exiled and Jerusalem destroyed, the world was rebuilt upon the blood of Jesus and his sacrifice on the cross. Some of God's people didn't survive the battle. They gave up in the middle of the challenge and never got to taste the glory of the Lord. 

Don't give up. Have faith and hope that the exile will end and God will rebuild with sparkling rubies, shining gems, and precious stones. He will rebuild your life better than ever before! Don't let the messiness of life get you down and turn you away from your only real hope!