Category: Faith

Suffering

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28
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I have to tell you, this verse used to confuse the crud out of me. I’d hear well-intentioned Christians quote it at each other and my forehead would go all wrinkly.
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Because in reality, Christians suffer. They lose their jobs. Or get cancer. Or struggle through infertility. Or find out their child needs a new heart. Or (insert any number of bad things here).
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And the whole idea of patting their shoulder and saying, “Don’t worry. God will work this out for your good” feels a little insensitive to me.
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Especially since sometimes, another job doesn’t come and they have to foreclose on their house. Sometimes the cancer wins. Sometimes they’ll never get a positive pregnancy test. And sometimes the child doesn’t get a heart.
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So how can we possibly say God’s working for their good? It doesn’t make any sense.
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At least not by our definition of good.
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And there’s the crux of the verse. That one simple word.

What is good?

We know the world’s definition. To the world, good equals comfort. Good equals prosperity and health and popularity and independence and getting what we want.
But maybe that’s not what good means to God.
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Maybe to God, good means becoming more like Jesus. Relying more on Jesus.

And maybe that doesn’t happen during times of prosperity. Maybe it’s during those times of discomfort, or financial struggle, or failing health, or rejection, or grief, or unmet expectations, when we take our eyes off the temporary things this world has to offer and draw nearer to Him.

Let’s Talk:What do you think God means by “good”? Have you grown closer to the Lord because of hard times?

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The Joy Thief

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

He plays with light and dark, casting shadows of enormity, disguising himself as a towering monster. When really, behind the trick, lies something silly and small and inconsequential.

I call him the Joy Thief.

More popularly known as Worry or Inconvenience.

He likes to watch us, like some warped version of Santa Claus, waiting for that perfect moment. The moment we let our guards down so he can creep into our soul and feed. Feasting on our busyness. Our distraction. Our tiredness and irritability. Until he grows so big and bloated there’s no room for joy.

The Joy Thief is a monster we invite into our bellies. A monster that gives us wrinkles and ulcers and chest pains and quick tempers. A monster that doesn’t add a single day to our lives.

Our time on this earth is so fleeting. Like grass, we are here today and gone tomorrow. So why in the world do we let these silly, small, inconsequential things grow bigger than they are and steal our joy?

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Luke 12:25

Let’s Talk: Do you know the Joy Thief? How does he disguise himself in your life?removetweetmeme

Giving it All

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

There’s this scene in the Bible where thousands of people are gathered to hear Jesus teach. Only it’s getting late. People are hungry. And the only food around is in the possession of a young boy. He has five loaves of bread and two fish. Nowhere near enough to feed the crowd.

When I read this story, I can’t help but wonder….

Did that boy worry over the smallness of his offering? Did he think about breaking the loaves into teeny-tiny pieces? Was he tempted to keep the food to himself?

Any of these would be normal reactions. Human reactions. Because the task before him was 100% impossible.  

Until he gave the food to Jesus. And somehow, those five loaves and those two fish fed five thousand. 
How silly would it have been if the boy had taken credit? He didn’t feed those people. He didn’t perform the miracle. He didn’t multiply the food.

But he did give his all.

Dan Walsh, author of The Unfinished Gift, talked about this story in one of the workshops I attended at the ACFW conference last weekend.

And it hit me with so much power. So much truth.

There are people who try to break up the bread and do impossible things on their own.

There are people who don’t even try, because they see the impossibility before them.

And there are people like that boy. A kid who gave everything, knowing it was nowhere near enough. But he gave it anyway and trusted Jesus with the rest.

Man.

I want to be like that kid. I want to put forth my best effort. I want to give God my all. But at the end of the day, I want to remember that my all will never be enough. So if or when God chooses to multiply the work of my hands, I won’t ever question who deserves the credit.

Let’s Talk: Are you more tempted to try to do it all on your own, or are you more tempted to not try at all?  

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