“Our challenge is to cling to what God says even when everything within us demands we run the other way.”- Dr. Wayne Stiles
Dr. Wayne Stiles continues Chapter 11 of Waiting on God by observing that fixating on our problems obscures the reality of their smallness compared to God’s power. Of course, our problems are real and they hurt! However, life consists of more than our problems. Therefore, we need to sit up, refocus, and get perspective.
In our spiritual lives we tend to see either what’s close or what’s far. But we need to see the present and the future at the same time, as Dr. Stiles explains:
“We need to pay attention to our daily lives, of course- to the things nearby- by growing in essential qualities of spiritual maturity (see 2 Pet. 1:8). At the same time, a balanced perspective requires we keep another eyeball on the things far away- on eternal things.”
The lenses of Scripture correctly focus our eyes on both perspectives. Therefore, we see each perspective clearly. Regarding Joseph’s story, in hindsight we easily see God very much involved. Yet, at the time of Joseph’s various crises, God seemed very much absent- although that certainly wasn’t the case. The problem- the participants only had one eye open.
In conclusion, Dr. Stiles applies this lesson to us:
” . . . we can trust that the details of our present struggle serve as vital parts of God’s grand plan. With one eye we see our struggles. With the other eye we see by faith that God has purpose for it all. One eye sees the chaos of the world. The other eye sees God working. We need both eyes, because sometimes it seems God is doing nothing.”
Today’s question: How have you successfully faced the challenge to cling to what God says? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Opportunities to demonstrate faith”