Do you ever feel as if your Christian faith is like a roller coaster ride?
Sometimes my spiritual life feels that way.
There are seasons when my faith feels sky high and rock solid. I'm confident in the Lord's plans for my life, my identity is secure in Christ alone, and my excitement for the gospel can barely be contained.
And then there are the low points, when the opposite feels true. I know you can relate.
Why do we experience such highs and lows? Of course, there are multiple reasons, but as I've studied the bible, counseled others, and examined my own heart, I keep bumping into a common conclusion:
For Christians, it's very tempting for us to hook our everyday faith to our everyday circumstances.
There's a short story in the Bible that illustrates this truth with power. Hebrews 11:23 says, "By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.
Could there be anything more scary than what Moses' parents were experiencing? Pharaoh had just issued a death sentence for their newborn son! The horror of this moment is hard for us to wrap our brains around.
The circumstances of everyday life could not get worse for Moses' parents; they had every reasonable right to be terrified. But their faith never weakened, and they were not afraid.
How can you live with such confidence?
Your faith must not be tied to your daily circumstances, but to the Lord, whose eternal presence, promises, and provisions are never altered by daily circumstances.
Living by faith means that no matter what happens, you have reason to continue. God is still the same. His commands are still valid. His promises are still true. His provision is still abundant. His presence has never left.
At street-level, even though your circumstances may change dramatically, nothing has actually changed at a spiritual level.
In the most terrifying moment of life, Moses' mother and father believed by faith that God never changed. And they held on to this truth with every quaking fiber in their soul.
I love the Bible because it tells real stories of real people with real fears and real pain. This particular man and woman aren't heroes of the faith; they're just like me and you.
These flawed Christians made the decision to hook their faith to the only Hero of the Bible, who does not change, instead of hooking their faith to the rollercoaster of daily circumstances.
Why don't you do the same today?
God bless,
Paul Tripp
Reflection Questions
- Why is it spiritually dangerous to hook your faith to daily circumstances when life is hard?
- Why is it spiritually dangerous to hook your faith to daily circumstances when life is good?
- In what ways may you be hooking your faith to daily circumstances right now?
- Who can you encourage this week with the unchanging presence, promises, and provision of God? Identify one person and minister to their soul.