Tag: Emmanuel

optimism isn’t faith.

optimism isn’t faith.

by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 2 Comments

“To choose to be optimistic or pessimistic is to set up a confirmation bias of your own mind to view the world the way you want it.”

-AzaRaskin

I am optimistic by nature. It’s natural for me to have hope and believe for the best.

My favorite chapter in the Bible has always been Hebrews 11, known as the faith chapter. I was inspired by these men and women of faith who believed. They resonated with my optimism and active lifestyle.

After the Jesus Movement of the 60’s, evangelical, charasmatic, and/or non-denominational churches sprung up everywhere. People wanted more of their church experience. Not to be entertained, but to know God in deeper and richer ways, understanding throughout the scripture that God wanted this, too.

Many of these churches emphasized faith and/or word-of-faith.

But faith can really be optimism and not faith at all.

Hebrews 11 lists the exploits of men and women who had faith. They were “history makers” and “moved mountains”… all the things you hear in many churches today. I think this resonates with our Western minds. Compared to other cultures, we excel at burning the candle at both ends.

But then, the end of Hebrews 11 says this:

“They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were put to death by the sword. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, oppressed, and mistreated. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and hid in caves and holes in the ground.

These were all commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised. God had planned something better for us, so that together with us they would be made perfect.”

What? Why? Look at all they did for God. If this happened to them, could it happen to me? But what about all the promises found in the scripture of God’s protection, etc., etc.? What about the full armor of God? What about asking anything in Jesus’ Name?

Can our faith really be optimism viewing the world the way we want it?

When our world has been shattered, when it didn’t turn out the way we had prayed for, there is no optimism. Only pain and sorrow. But in the abyss, we can find real faith.

It’s not easy for Christians with the sword of the spirit in one hand and the shield of faith in the other hand to hear hard truths.

Faith isn’t based only on good outcomes. There is real suffering that goes on in the world and not everyone who prays in Jesus’ Name receives what they want or need.

If we say one day in His courts is better than a thousand elsewhere, then perhaps one day in the abyss with God is better than anywhere else. Emmanuel, God with us, who promises never to leave us or forget us.

The abyss only reveals Him in the way you’ve wanted to know Him all along. The shadow that hid His face from you for so long is gone. You would never have seen Him completely had you not entered the abyss.

God sees the shattered pieces all around you and promises He will take care of that. If not here, the promise of eternity when He will wipe away every tear.

Amazing how the darkness can show us the true way.

the end of the story.

the end of the story.

by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 4 Comments

When you are a Christian, when you have invited the Lord and his word to be a living, breathing, part of your life, you not only experience the peace and comfort He promises during suffering, but you know the end of the story.

The end of the story is important. But first, the beginning of the story.

The world is enslaved to sin.

When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.

We can see the affects all around us. Rust, corrosion, moth eaten, disease, pain, death.

Yet, Emmanuel – God with us. God reveals His presence all around us. In the midst of disatrous and destructive life experiences, we still smile at breath-taking sunsets and the fresh, green buds of spring.

The world is not detached from God. He is with us in our suffering. He promises never to leave us.

We won’t understand everything in the Bible but we understand enough. I don’t know why some suffer more than others. In my own suffering, I said, “How can I hurt so bad but love God even more?”

It was because I had experienced his closeness to me. No earthly power or distraction would have sufficed. Suffering allows us to feel God’s presence and connects us with Him in ways we wouldn’t have known otherwise. Could this be part of why we suffer?

For now, we don’t understand suffering. It seems at odds with a loving God.

But we do know the end of the story.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

For centuries, the end the story has brought comfort to those who have suffered.

The Apostle Paul, who suffered in ways foreign to many of us, said this:

For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

The world offers numerous ways to bring happiness and comfort. Some good. Some bad. But all is temporary.

Only God gives us exactly what we need. And He gives us the patience to endure

… until the end of the story.