Have you ever been tempted by contract faith?
You know what I’m talking about- the thought that sometimes creeps in along this line, “I’m really working hard God, trying to do something good for you and your people, so how could you let ________ happen to me?”
Yancey notes this can actually be more of a temptation for those deeply involved in ministry than those who aren’t. After all, you go to church regularly, you’re involved in ministries of the church, and you are trying to lead a godly life. And that’s generally supposed to result in good things right? Shouldn’t God be trying to protect you, or at least your ability to continue his ministry?
But sometimes that’s not the way it works out. You think of Paul’s ministry. No man gave more to God and yet think of all he dealt with- hunger, poverty, prison, shipwreck, physical illness (probably), assaults on his person and ministry, and yes even martrydom. Why didn’t God step in and do something? Shouldn’t he have tried to protect Paul and his ministry?
Well, that’s where the famous words of Paul help us so much- “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?. . . For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Chrsit Jesus our Lord.”
Paul dealt with all these things and yet he was convinced that in spite of them and even through them, God was accomplishing something. It’s not that he was never tempted by contract faith, but he knew that on a deeper level, God was working something greater out, and so he was willing to endure, trusting in this promise.
Tomorrow, in my Thanksgiving post, I’ll be following up on this with some thoughts about contentment and Thanksgiving.
Wow! Are you talking to me? Good food for thought.