Rom 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
While on Twitter yesterday, I had the following conversation:
katjrobertson: God is not punishing you when he takes something from your grasp, but merely opening your hands to receive something better. (a retweet of @jhsands)
PERSON #2: So I am getting something better?
katjrobertson: According to your faith, be it unto you ~ Matthew 9:29 :)
PERSON #2: This is only for those who have a faith?
katjrobertson: It is by our faith that God is moved on our behalf.
PERSON #2: But that is a difficult question because there are also issues of mercy, grace, & favor… all of which aren’t dependent on us.
PERSON #2: Tell me the last time when you lost something that was replaced by something better.
PERSON #2: Isn’t it like you form a theory, and when that theory fails, you add more to it to “fix it” ?
katjrobertson: I’ve had an abundance of things in my life I’ve lost that made room for greater things to enter my life. Jobs, friends, items.
katjrobertson: I could blog about it if you like :) 140 characters doesn’t do it justice 4 all the ways God has blessed me in my life!
katjrobertson: My faith is far from a theory. It is tried & tested. God has always been on time in answering my prayers & delivering me.
PERSON #2: I am glad it worked for you.
I think sharing God’s Word is very important… but what is even more important is actually being able to give a reason for the hope that you have in the Lord and always being ready to answer adversarial questions from those who don’t share your faith. There’s only so much you can write in 140 characters (lol) on Twitter; plus when I speak on matters of spirituality and I cannot audibly SPEAK to someone, I would much rather organize my thoughts by blogging. This ensures that I am able to express in depth the points that need to be made. First, I would like to reiterate that my faith is NOT a theory – far from it. Faith, in my own definition, is simply believing in that which has yet to be seen… Christians have opportunities to exercise their faith on a daily basis. This is operable faith – faith that allows us to more closely identify ourselves to God: our problems / His provision. Saving faith is the belief that Christ died on the cross to atone for the sins of mankind so that we could be reconciled to God, from whom we are separated by sin. The type of faith I’m talking about is operable faith, which stems from saving faith.
Some people say they view faith as ‘believing the impossible’ but faith as it relates to the God that I serve is based upon the knowledge that NOTHING is impossible with God, so how can I believe the impossible will happen when I don’t believe anything is impossible for Him? (haha) One definition that explains my own perspective on faith a bit more eloquently than I did above was found at SpiritHome.com. The definition provided there for faith is “belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence.” Faith is something that begins small… usually with just a notion or idea… a suggestion, perhaps. Theology calls this ‘the seed.’ Then, through experience (water, nurturing), it is strengthened (grown) and solidified (protected, reproduced). Essentially, within our hearts, it is proven to such an extent that we can bank on God working things out for us. Our trust is shown time and time again to be not only rational, but continuously backed up by God’s action. I don’t have faith because I want something to believe in. People who have no-matter-what faith just because they need something bigger than themselves to blame for the wrong in their life or to credit the good do not have faith – they have fantasy. I have faith because in my experience, nothing else makes sense. If I had to search out reasons to have faith, I would never have put in the time nor the effort. God opened my eyes and in turn, I opened my heart.
I thrive on knowing that God has already implemented a solution into His design for my life… this knowledge creates within me the ability to patiently wait for that solution to be manifested at the appropriate time. God has always been on time. I welcome the experiences that build wisdom in my spirit. I welcome situations that cause me to be tested, thus strengthened.
I welcome circumstances that make me need God… make me call on Him so that He may remind me of all the reasons I have faith – all the reasons my hope is in Him. The request was for me to tell about the last time something was lost in my life that was replaced by something better. The list continues to grow. There are a laundry list of things in my life – big and small – that were devastating to lose… but eventually proved to be things God needed to relieve me of in order to place in my hands that which was more useful, more valuable, and more beneficial to me in the grand scheme of things. Any type of loss seems extremely disappointing at the time… it’s always hard to see brighter days when the sun isn’t shining. But God always has a plan, which we find by seeking His face when we feel shattered, torn, confused… and lacking. There are so many specific examples I could provide, but I think instead I will give a couple that impacted my whole life.
- My father… I felt such an emptiness without him, but over the years in getting to know him (a little) better, I have realized that having him in my life would have done more harm than good. God replaced him with my grandfather who was, in my eyes, the greatest man I’ve ever known. All of my standards, values, expectations, and ambitions come from him – and my mother, but I’m sure that hers also came from him being that he was her father, so that is why I say “from him.” When I lost my grandfather, God soon replaced him with my husband who is now the second greatest man I’ve ever known and who has had just as much of an impact on me becoming who I am as my grandfather did.
- Gymnastics… I was a very talented little gymnast when I was young. It was my release… it was my passion. I focused on nothing else, and likely would have continued had not 4″ of my bone required removal due to a bone tumor. What replaced this love in my life? Writing… music… two things I may not have ever cared to have time for had I kept the distraction of my athletic talent… not to mention that it’s highly likely I would have sought a completely different path in life, changing my testimony and perhaps not having my children or ever meeting my husband. Everything happens for a reason, according to God’s Will.
- Freedom… I was locked up in boot camp for several months as an early teen. This was initially one of the most traumatic experiences for me, especially since all the trouble I got into was a direct result of some deeply seeded needs in my life that hadn’t been met. I felt abandoned, misunderstood, resentful, and bitter. I felt as though no one cared; as though no one wanted me… as though no one wanted me to feel better, or to be better. What was my freedom replaced with? Structure… I was forced to develop an appreciation – and respect – for boundaries, rules, and authority. This changed my entire take on life and made me begin to consider exactly what I wanted to get out of it.
- Premature success… When my husband was signed to an NFL contract, we believed that was the greatest blessing in the world – his dreams were coming true which would open the door for my dreams to fall into place, but neither of us were truly ready to take on that type of pressure. Pressure causes change.
When he was released, it was a tough blow. All the plans we made were crushed. It seemed like a huge curse. But God replaced that with a promise… one you will soon see come to pass. How do I know? By faith. In the meantime, the preparation He has allowed us to go through was awesome and even though it has been difficult, I’ve never stopped being thankful and taking every opportunity He has allowed in order for me to grow and mature spiritually.
I could go on and on about all the things God has allowed us to be stripped of so that we would be in a position to receive His abundance. We’ve experienced temptations, health scares, insecurity, personal and professional loss, financial uncertainty: disconnected utilities, eviction notices, service interruptions, etc., attacks on our marriage & family… you name it, we’ve been there – but all of the disappointments and all of the changes in life’s direction only made us recognize God that much more… because He always comes through on time in a way that only He can. It’s always obvious that it’s His means of provision, no matter what the circumstance is. We rarely understand it while we’re going through it, and I can’t honestly sit here and say that we NEVER worry or that we have NEVER doubted… or that we NEVER get frustrated, or even that we NEVER have questioned God. To say any of those things would be a complete and deliberate lie. But one thing I can say without blinking an eye, without stuttering or feeling unsure, is that God has NEVER failed us… and my faith tells me that He never will. His track record is astounding and speaks for itself as to His ability. What I can attest to is the fact that he has taken this angry, uncaring, suicidal, drug abusing, insecure, broken individual and turned me into a vessel through which He transfers His love into an angry, uncaring, suicidal, drug abusing, insecure, broken world.
I’m not here to convince you that God is real. He is able to reveal Himself to you – and will. My objective is simply to share with you what I know of Him which is that when my lights were disconnected and I had nearly two weeks before I would be expecting another dime to enter my household, I received a check in the mail – a refund from school AFTER I had already received my refund – that very same day that I still don’t know what it was for. My objective is to share with you what God has done in my life which is to ALWAYS show up in the 11th hour, wipe my tears, and make it all okay. My experience with God is that over and over again He has delivered me from my troubles and even rescued me from myself. I suppose to answer the question in one sentence: EVERYTHING that God has ever allowed to be taken from me has been replaced by something greater. Period. Car broke down, no one would finance me; God stepped in. BAM. New vehicle. | Lost my job, making $8.50 per hour; God stepped in. BAM. 40K+ per year salary, prepared me for greater things to come. | Marriage in shambles, about to destruct; God stepped in. BAM. Still don’t know how we got to this point, but God does. | Desiring more time for my family, unhappy with my job; God stepped in. BAM. I work from home, comparable salary… I work in my jammies! I have no doubt that God carefully orchestrated everything to bring me to this moment. This precious moment, with this precious mindset, with this precious faith. I also have no doubt that He brought you here as well… someone needed this today. Prayer is powerful. God is almighty. Faith is the link between them.
:)
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