Fear that soars is faith – Faith that sinks is fear

When experiences of struggle occur in life,

As faith gathers where fear is rife,

Courage has the intensity of hope,

Only by faith is there strength to cope.

***

The experience of life in its entire multitude of moments is made up of mountains and valleys. At the mountaintops is a blissful, thankful joy exuding. In the valleys is despair we hardly reckon as just. Much of life skates between these two polarities of extreme, yet there are plenty of mountains and valleys in plain view.

Faith and fear; fear and faith: these come with the package.

As we vacillate in our capacity to cope with the strains of living we tend between faith and fear. A fear that soars is the becoming of faith, yet often faith flounders and is soon the very representation of fear.

Neither faith nor fear is without the other. They run in unison, yet opposed. They are sustained as a tension; they are on a continuum – as we slide up one end to faith we have no fear that moment, and as we recede to the other end, fear has exhausted faith.

Faith and fear; fear and faith: these are both in tandem throughout life.

Never are we without the capacity for each. When we get too confident in the sheer brashness of faith (as it turns to pride) we risk a fall. Yet, we are too easily struck by fear as if we have fallen to rock bottom. We are never too far from each or either, faith or fear.

If we recognise that life is one long orienteering event, we can understand that amongst the peaks and valleys there are streams and caves and plains and ravines, also. Not only is there the blissful and deplorable, there is the exciting, the breathtaking, the nerve-racking, the boring, and the distasteful.

In all this we can recognise, afresh, that faith is an ally and fear is not so much a foe, but a guide as to how strong – in that moment – our faith is.

Fear is not the end of the story; it’s the invitation to augment our response by faith.

***

Our faith is at its best when we are hemmed in with fear. Faith that finds hope enough to keep going is acting courageously. Fear is no bad thing; it is our invitation to ply faith. By faith we respond. Fear that soars is faith.

© 2014 S. J. Wickham.

You and Your Precious Quiet Time

Eternal souls each need,

God, and for him to lead,

Because of the divine gap,

That sits awkwardly in our lap.

Reconciling our sin,

Is about going deep within,

In order to reconcile our doubt,

And to discover what’s life all about.

Now finding a safe place,

Is about seeking our Lord’s face,

Inviting us to discover,

The Lord’s really our lover.

***

“The place to begin is to take to heart our spiritual bankruptcy, our propensity to love the little idols more than we love God, and our unbelief about the transformative power of God’s Spirit.”

— Theresa Ip Froehlich

It is for each human being to discover, for themselves, their unique need of God – reconciling and accepting the eternal fabric of their soul.

We need God, quite frankly, because without him we need so much else. When we have God, we have need of nothing else, and life is simpler and there is more straightforward and direct effect with our lives. But ‘having God’ is a situational state – for we may easily go the world’s way, forgetting God and therefore our intrinsic need, and flounder, really without knowing it. We may be blinded to the fact.

When we have God we have no need of the little idols that foist their way into a consciousness. We see them for what they are; threats to our vital integrity. When we have God – as in a situational possession (when God has us) – we have oneness with ourselves and with the truth. We can accept our sinfulness and simultaneously believe in the transformative power of God’s Spirit such that we may grow in the state of Christ-likeness. We accept what we are, but we are not happy to remain that way forever.

To grow in such ways we need to know Christ, having studied and meditated over his character. The Spirit communicates in ways that no teacher can. The Spirit compels us to love and to exact grace over impossible situations. We come to understand the grace is a very unreasonable thing. We see the miracles of grace in and through our behaviour as we surrender to the Spirit in our living situations. We see the evidence and it encourages our souls.

This requires of us the certitude of focus borne on the wings of an essential quiet time.

You and your quiet time are precious. You are precious, indeed. God knows it and you may concur. But God needs to deal with us preciously, by impelling us forward on our journey with him into our depth and into the depths of eternity as it prevails in the realities of everyday life. God wants us to be real with ourselves in the midst of our lives. He needs us to accept where we are at. He needs us to be real with ourselves, which requires of us, courage and humility.

We can only know these things through the precious possession of our quiet time. Through quiet time we gain the impetus for poise to actuate courage and humility in the realness of our lives.

***

You and your precious quiet time are important to God. The Lord loves you and desires to communicate his extravagant love to you through your quiet time with him. God desires that we go deep into him and into ourselves to receive our healing, our power, our confidence, and our redeemed identities, so we may live capable lives – lives of truth and grace.

© 2014 S. J. Wickham.

Image credit: thepowerofintroverts.com

The Inherent Value of Good Faith

“They who strive to build up a firm faith in Scripture through disputation are doing things backwards.”

― John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Vol. 1 of 2

BAD FAITH and good faith there are in this life and both are extremely self-evident upon honest appraisal. They are supremely evident as we look at others’ lives.

John Calvin’s point involves the application of Scripture to our lives, and not the spruiking of one’s own ‘inalienable’ truth. Why would we argue the meaning of things to the point of disputation when the point of Scripture is to admonish us to live peaceably with the desire to love our neighbours as ourselves? Surely, the point of striving for a firm faith in Scripture is to realise that avenue to such faith is through relationship, with God and with others. Disputing others’ claims, values, and beliefs is winning us no friends; unless the point of the exercise is challenge one another – which rarely it would be.

But there is a deeper point easily missed in all this; the issue of firm faith being good faith – a faith that vindicates its possessor. By that we also know bad faith when we see it: people espousing to believe, yet never actually applying their faith – the tenets of what they stand for.

Good faith is nothing about disputation for disputation’s sake. Good faith is about applying a very noticeable trust in all facets of life, abiding keenly to and advocating essential and universal truths, the accession of virtue fitted for the moment, and the practice of wise discernment – all of these four of which others notice and can comment favourably on.

The purveyor of good faith isn’t a person keen to blast their own trumpet. They have no piece in self-promotion or self-protection. They are keen to allow their faith to do the talking. They know their fruit is in the growing and they are patient enough to allow it to ripen.

Good faith is our best friend and closest ally in this troublesome life. It always works out in the ultimate sense, because it rebounds with resilience – without much overt complaint – when the going gets tough.

When we live our faith well, we allow God to speak into our lives by the Holy Scriptures, which affirms what we have right from what we still haven’t understood. What point is disputation, then? We must execute the open mind.

***

Good faith is its own pleasant medicine that offers us up to the abundant life. There can be no argument that it is inherently valuable – that such faith is good is observable for all to see. Good faith sustains us through any reality check.

© 2014 S. J. Wickham.

Why Must Grief Last So Long?

So often in those days,

I wondered why grief,

Must last so terribly long,

It took a while,

But my discovery back then,

Was that the delay,

Was meant to make me strong.

It was hard to take,

And I have to confess,

I didn’t wait very well,

But I learned as I went,

That God was showing me,

How to rest in Him and dwell.

Those tears did flow,

And in loneliness I wept,

Like rivers in the rain,

But as I look back,

There’s one golden truth:

God never left me in my pain.

I met someone the other day,

Who reminded me,

Much of that time,

How in honest lament,

Giving it all to God,

He gives us a way to shine.

Kindred spirits belong,

Like for like, pain for pain,

With one another they align,

This one thing they have,

So much in common,

Is they have very well Met the Divine.

***

What is a terrifically terrible reality – that of loss – is marked on the consciousness far, far too long. Psalm 13, of several psalms that fit the present mood, encapsulates the haunting tragedy that a life interrupted and delayed entails. It is a life long gone. It is a life very well over, as it was. It is the sudden threat to and the execution of the identity; the deconstruction and even demolition of what was long hard fought for.

Grief lasts too long.

But, strangely, and this I have to admit is easier to say now, there is sense in the delay. God has many things to teach us; and it is not God’s nature to rub our noses in it!

Many of the biggest, profoundest lessons cannot be learned instantly – over a day, a week, a month, or even a year. There are some exceptions, but invariably they often take longer – much longer in many cases.

What God has to show us is such an individual and unique thing. How could I ever know what God has in store for the next person? How could I judge their approach; their time; their grief; their journey? Only they and God can ever know. But what a treat to be let into that person’s world – as they journey, and finally, as they stand again fully reconstructed! (In God’s time.)

***

Recovering from grief takes time for a reason. There is a purpose, and our opportunity is to trust God, for he will show us that reason at the proper time.

© 2014 S. J. Wickham.

How Can There Be Meaning In Tragedy?

Tragedy strikes without apology.

It leaves us wondering why.

It’s the cause for a mountain of grief,

Where we may wish that we could die.

But equal is the truth of God,

That we may miss without good vision,

Grief is never a waste of time,

If to rebuild is our decision.

God never wastes a hurt. It’s not just a cliché. Hope is the thing that transports us from despair to belief by faith. Hope, and it can happen.

***

Faith says and believes all types of things that run counter to the world. Faith believes in what is otherwise seen as impossible, because it believes that God sponsors indelibly what is right. Faith has hope. Faith cannot endure without hope, except that the best of faith hopes beyond visible hope. Faith finds hope in hopelessness. With faith, despair is no option. Faith keeps looking up.

Faith and hope, hence, they go together.

***

If there truly ‘meaning in tragedy’? We have to be very careful. Easily we fall into the trap of cliché. That is never a good end because we miss out on the truth. There can be meaning in tragedy, but only as it is personally discovered and personally meaningful. That person’s faith has held out hope and that hope wasn’t disappointed. This is not to say – I rush in saying – that the person who has not found meaning in their tragedy lacks faith. That would be too much of a generalisation venturing into legalism. No, there can be meaning in tragedy, but only a person can tell.

***

Hope does energise us and faith does transport us, however, into liveable present and future brimming with possibility for life beyond pain; possibility. Yes, there is the possibility that, rather than living what seems an unreal existence, even dreamlike, because of the tragedy, we might live to be inherently thankful for what we have learned – that which is beyond the reach of the pain. God can show us these things sometimes.

***

God is in the business of turning our experiences of life upside down; turning horror into harmony, for instance. But we only have a chance – the opportunity of grace – if we will venture by faith, believing that we can prosper, somehow, out of something otherwise maddening on the soul.

***

Hope is the thing that transports us from despair to belief by faith. Hope, and it can happen. And hope’s spouse is faith. They work hand in hand. Hope is the fuel; faith is the journey. Hope is our only chance for a future out of tragedy. Let’s covet hope, prizing it above everything else, for it underpins faith.

© 2014 S. J. Wickham.

A Prayer That Changes Things

A health concern

Is horrible to learn

In all kinds of different ways.

All we can do

Is manage our bodies true

Praying for peace all our days.

***

When we pray our circumstances don’t change, but our view of them does. Health concerns can bury us in anxiety, which leads to fatiguing depression. But when we pray, seeking peace, God gives us a new porthole through which to look.

There are so many things beyond our immediate control in life.

We cast a gaze in the mirror, acutely aware of the health problem plaguing us, no matter how imminent is the threat, and we quickly find ourselves forlorn in attitude; a further deepening descent into something dark if we remain there.

We decide this is no good, so we set out on a plan to rectify the situation. Or, we remain in the preponderance of denial – which is convenient now, but not much good as the signs and symptoms wear on.

Apart from doing what the health and medical professionals instruct us to do, all we can do is pray – for a peace that splits apart our experience of understanding, such that we cannot explain the abiding sense of tranquility that our hearts and minds enjoy.

We need to pray. We need to pray every day. We need to instill prayer in our way.

Our prayer might go something like this:

My Father in Heaven;

My Father in me and all around me via your Holy Spirit, I uphold you as the Lord of my life and the King over all I think, say and do. You alone are worthy. You alone know me. You alone can heal me. And you alone have the power to help me now.

Thank you that you can deliver me in ways that transcend my understanding.

I ask Lord, now, as I bow before you, with my mind and heart set upon you, surrendered before your throne of grace, that you would give me grace enough to trust you with my health and the power to do what is right for me and my body and mind. Help me change my ways so I live healthier and holier. And truly I ask for peace, Lord.

I ask these things in and through the wonderful name of Jesus, my Saviour,

AMEN.

***

Health concerns cause much anxiousness. Going to God each day in prayer, to seek his peace over our health matters, is the way to receive from him what we cannot give ourselves – to receive a peace that transcends our understanding. This is a prayer that changes things; not our circumstances, but our very selves.

© 2014 S. J. Wickham.

The Sustenance of Integrity Through Authenticity

“When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.”

— Laozi (6^th Century B.C.E.)

Too much of our lives we spend

Wanting to be someone else,

When all God asks us,

Is to be content to know our self.

***

Yet, it is difficult to be ourselves – it takes great courage at times to simply be me and you. For starters, we must discern the threats to authenticity before we can understand these are threats to our integrity. Once a threat is discerned – like we are entertaining ‘fake’ and allowing ourselves to carry out that masquerade – we then have the responsibility to perform remedial work to be realer than that in the moment.

It is best for everyone, not least of all ourselves, for us to be our truest selves.

When we can be – when we can allow ourselves to be – because we are bold enough to accept ourselves in that given moment – then we give to others an authentic experience of ourselves that is bloated with integrity.

We are beautifully made, delicately poised, and specifically purposed – to live the lives we have been given. Our bodies are not our own – they were given to us, notwithstanding we may have developed them – but our minds are ours once we assume possession. And still, the mind may be considered the same – a faculty given to us for use to the glory of God.

The Source of True Contentment – Accepting God’s Work In Us

Once we accept God’s interest and work in us, as individuals, we can then bend every effort toward living simply as we ourselves are.

There is so much grace divested in each of us that self-acceptance should be a no-brainer. We have been gifted life when trillions upon trillions of would-be human material is never to be brought into union with a mate – the making of one zygote. We are all very, very special and unique; God’s grace has been expended into each of us, and God’s grace flows as a continual force forever through us.

These are most acceptable facts, and such facts are but the start of an incontrovertible case.

***

Sustaining our integrity of person is exercised through authenticity – the simplicity of being comfortably and acceptably ourselves. This is about accepting God’s progressive work in us; a work the Lord has promised to complete. We can be really real when we accept that God has done his very best in us. God is no shoddy craftsman.

© 2014 S. J. Wickham.

14 Ideas to Help With Sudden Grief

What comes so abruptly

And treats us corruptly

Is this scathing reality of loss,

Why am I confused?

Feeling like I’m abused?

Why am I at such a loss?

Why does life have to change?

Why does God rearrange?

Why am I so damned cross?

Why can’t I believe?

Why do I struggle to breathe?

Why is this grief now boss?

Why do I feel so low?

My capacities are so slow,

Every feeling I just want to toss.

But with time I came,

To accept a new game,

One where love is central to loss.

***

SUDDEN losses inflict the pain of grief in many different forms, but largely confusion reigns. As the grief journey commences so suddenly we have no way to prepare for it. But we can be advised of these sorts of considerations:

1.       Do understand that the emotional pendulum can swing drastically and harshly as we grapple with what we could not have possibly anticipated.

2.      Don’t judge people for what they think and feel in the midst of sudden grief, where they may be just trying to make some sense and meaning of the new situation.

3.      Do take the time to gather with others who share in your grief, or can feel your pain with you, like people you trust.

4.      Don’t think life has now sunken to such depths as it is right now. Life’s hope will brighten again.

5.      Do think of others who have also suffered loss during your process of grieving. Band together with them if possible.

6.      Don’t plan ahead too much if you don’t need to, but get the help required if you are the decision maker.

7.      Do be gentle with yourself. Too many people feel guilty for something or other in the midst of losing a loved one or precious friend.

8.     Don’t judge yourself. You did what you could at the time. You weren’t to know life would now be like this.

9.      Do enjoy fleeting moments of humour. Levity at heavy times is very desirable when it’s respectful and appropriate.

10.  Don’t settle for unnecessary regret. If a situation can be amended, set out to do just that. Take heart and be of good courage.

11.   Do understand that the grief process ebbs and flows between logical and illogical thoughts, and wavers into denial, anger, resentment, bargaining, being depressed, despair, all of which are intermingled with bouts of acceptance.

12.  Don’t make too much of the emotions. Allow yourself some grace. Forgive yourself promptly and frequently.

13.  Do promise to search for hope and to journey by faith. This is the best of plans.

14.  Don’t worry about the mistakes you make. Everything can be fixed.

***

Sudden loss is heart-rending as much as it’s heart-breaking. Being overwhelmed by confusion is as valid as being stricken with sadness, as is every other emotional response. Go gently into the depths and, before plunging in, get some support.

© 2014 S. J. Wickham.

Understanding Conviction of Conscience

“A clear conscience is the sure sign of a bad memory.”

― Mark Twain

Our consciences tell us

What went wrong

Though nobody else sees it

Our consciences see it strong!

The blessed arrangement of justice

Self-requited under the Lord

As we judge ourselves

We align with God’s accord.

Some will see it as the leading of the Holy Spirit – and I subscribe to this much of the time – whilst others see it as the role of our moral inventories sitting in judgment: the conscience. One and the same, perhaps, we are blessed to be so self-aware that we listen and take the conviction of conscience as counsel worthy of obeying.

The conscience of most is piqued in the doing of, or letting go, of wrong. We experience guilt, and perhaps even shame, for not standing up and doing what was right; what was God’s will.

Now, what inspired this present thought bubble is this: our consciences even convict us when no one else is onto us. If we have skimped on a commitment elsewhere, and there is a relational component, i.e., we’ve let someone down, even if we are the only ones who know it, we may well think the other person is ‘onto’ us. If we don’t feel part of a team, our consciences give us away as we see the division working against us, where that ‘division’ may actually be a fabrication of our imaginations – our perception is skewed in favour of actually seeing what only we are seeing. When we feel like we are missing the mark in any area of life we tend to see ourselves condemned – regardless of what others truly think, and, indeed, we may even be blind to what they are saying about us that is good. It works the other way, too; when we see the rampant injustice against us in a social setting we see things the way our perceptions have made them.

Our consciences are powerful instruments through which God works, in leading us toward repentance – for our own sakes.

The only exception to all this is the seared conscience. When we ignore the conscience long enough what wrong we are doing stops mattering. This is a travesty against life. We cannot bear a relational life if we aren’t in tune with our consciences.

***

The conviction of our consciences means we stand judged and condemned by ourselves for what we, alone, discern as wrongs done by ourselves. Such a conviction is the invitation to repentance. It’s the only way we can live with ourselves again.

© 2014 S. J. Wickham.