Do y’all have dreams of what you’d like to be when you grow up? I do. I’d like to be able to play the cello. I’d like to be able to speak Spanish. I’d like to be an architect. These are all worthwhile accomplishments, but I know there’s more to playing the cello, speaking Spanish, and being an architect than merely liking the idea. These successes are not the result of dreaming, waking up one day and Voilà! it is so. There’s a considerable gap between ‘liking to’ and ‘being able to,’ and that gap involves years of grit, perseverance, and dedication. The rich and resonant sounds of the cello would, at first, be cacophonous and eye-wateringly off pitch. The melodious character of the Spanish language would start out with my very French-sounding vowels, attempting to hear the difference between ‘pero’ and ‘perro’, and be rife with grammatical errors. The detailed drawings on my drafting table would, in the beginning, more closely resemble the artistic efforts of a four-year-old than those of an architect (think no two lines straight or parallel).
Faith, too, is a worthwhile accomplishment achieved in much the same way, with grit, perseverance and dedication. We want to be strong and unshakable in our faith. And God, in His great and tender love for us, furnishes lots of life and relationships and yes, even hardships (like as-yet unanswered prayers), to build our faith muscle. Just like lifting weights, swimming, preparing for a marathon/triathlon/Olympics, faith begins life as an infant and needs to go through stages of growth, a little at a time. And God meets us at every stage to cheer us on.
As our faith is built up, we are drawn to releasing good but lesser loves in favor of eternal love experienced in God’s presence, in His Word, in His exhilarating joy. Each time we obey, we feel the increasing of our faith’s muscularity. The noise that, at first, would have derailed us, now gets silenced more easily. We may not even sense how far we’ve come, but others will notice and encourage us with their noticings. It’s truly a ‘long obedience in the same direction.’
Looking forward to seeing all you courageous, faith-building friends tomorrow 10 AM, 2 PM UK. PD
Don graduated from Regent University in 1988 and moved to France for seven years, coming back to the US briefly to marry Sue in 1990. The work in France included working in a Christian School and helping plant a church before returning in 1995. He’s been pastor of Peninsula Vineyard since 1999. He enjoys counseling, especially married couples, traveling back to France (with Sue), reading, doing Sudoku puzzles and sleuthing out good, dark chocolate. Don serves as the senior pastor of the Vineyard Church Peninsula, in Newport News, Virginia.