Many today are experiencing difficulties or trials. Why? What do they mean? How do we respond to them?
I have been reading The Upside of Down by Joseph M. Stowell. The subtitle of the book is Finding Hope When it Hurts. These are difficult times for many. The trials that we experience can challenge our faith and our understanding of God. Regardless of where difficulties might come from, we know that God is fully in control of our lives. In general, we understand that pain can help us to grow spiritually and reveal in our lives the glory of God.
In the book of Genesis, God asked Abraham to take his only son, Isaac, up to a mountain and sacrifice him. Isaac was the son that God gave to Abraham and Sarah when their bodies were old and past the age of child-bearing. This son was a gift from God.
Child-sacrifice is difficult for us to understand and is certainly repulsive. I do not believe God is in any way in favor of child-sacrifice. Abraham lived in the land of Canaan where the people sacrificed their children to God. Sacrificing a child was the way that these people demonstrated their devotion to their god.
When we talk about our love and devotion to God, we sometimes ask the question, "Do we love the Giver more than the gift?" This story of Abraham helps to bring significance to this question. Isaac was definitely a gift from God. The son of his old age, truly a miracle child. Abraham loved Isaac, and yet he was faced with the challenge from God, "Who do you love more, the gift I have given you, or Me, the giver of the gift?"
God stopped Abraham at the very last moment from sacrificing his son. It was clear that Abraham truly loved the Giver more than the gift. This trial that God allowed Abraham to experience revealed what was truly in Abraham's heart and brought glory to God.
It is easy to say, "I love God more than the things He has given me," but how do we respond when these things are taken away? I want to be among those who love the Giver more than the gift. This can be difficult at times since it is easy to get attached to the blessings of God.
My prayer is that God would help us enjoy His blessings, but above all, love Him with all that we have.
are we to love God more than our own children though ? the thought of giving up a child to God hurts me. I love the Lord but in my eyes i love my children as the Lord i couldnt choose one over the other. is it ok to feel that way as a christian ?
ReplyDeleteThe truth is, yes we must put God even before our family members. The comfort is that He loves them even more than we do. So I guess its really a trust issue, not so much giving them up as putting them in His hands.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteGreat question.
Thank you for your thoughts. The story of Abraham taking his son up on a mountain to sacrifice him to God invokes strong emotions. I wrestle with the same thoughts and feelings you mentioned in your email. I do not believe God is asking us to choose between Him and our children. I believe the story of Abraham and Isaac communicates that our love for God must govern first and foremost how we conduct our relationships with other people, including those close to us like our children and our spouse.
To put our love for God above our love for our children is to go to God and ask Him how He wants us to raise and train them. In the eyes of the world loving your children might be saying “yes” to them in some particular situation. However, because you put God and His ways first, you know that the proper way to demonstrate your love for them is to say “no” to them in a particular situation. It is not a question of choosing between God and your children, but allowing your love for God determine how you demonstrate your love for your children.
I hope this helps you understand what God is asking of us in this area and in all areas of our lives.
Pastor Gary
thank you for the answers and yes they do help a lot !! im sort of new to christianity and wondering how can i gain so much faith and how can i always walk in jesus footsteps instead of the world and not feel like a hypocrite when i do slip up along the way ?
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