So last night I was with some friends and one of them had just gotten back from a ministry training course. As is typical with this group and the ministry training course she had gone to, there had been some generous last minute gifts to help her cover her fees (she is one of the nationals in this nation and studied this course in the West so even at a discount the fees were difficult for her to pay for herself). Then she pulled out her new computer and said that just before she left to come back here, a friend had bought her this computer and given it to her.
Now here's the part that bothered me: Everyone was really excited and crediting God with giving her the computer (this material thing), but no one stopped to even mention the work of God that had to have occurred inside the purchaser to move him to such generosity. And that got me thinking, so often when we talk about what God has done, we talk about material things. And we should give him credit for such provision. But what about the hidden work of God. What about making the stingy man generous, or the racist full of love for all people, or the sorrowful and depressed person full of joy? And what about the people who walk through crap for years and years, and through God's power keep the faith and talk about how good God is when they have nothing, when they are in prison or suffering from chronic diseases? What about the parent loving and praying for the rebellious child? Sure faith is easy when life is going well and it seems like God is dropping the things you want in your lap. But when despite all your prayers, despite the fact that you know if he wanted to God could just take this problem away; when you have done everything you can think of to do but things are still hard and the trial and pain don't let up, yet you still hold tight to God in faith and believe. That seems like a much greater thing.
Now here's the part that bothered me: Everyone was really excited and crediting God with giving her the computer (this material thing), but no one stopped to even mention the work of God that had to have occurred inside the purchaser to move him to such generosity. And that got me thinking, so often when we talk about what God has done, we talk about material things. And we should give him credit for such provision. But what about the hidden work of God. What about making the stingy man generous, or the racist full of love for all people, or the sorrowful and depressed person full of joy? And what about the people who walk through crap for years and years, and through God's power keep the faith and talk about how good God is when they have nothing, when they are in prison or suffering from chronic diseases? What about the parent loving and praying for the rebellious child? Sure faith is easy when life is going well and it seems like God is dropping the things you want in your lap. But when despite all your prayers, despite the fact that you know if he wanted to God could just take this problem away; when you have done everything you can think of to do but things are still hard and the trial and pain don't let up, yet you still hold tight to God in faith and believe. That seems like a much greater thing.
