Reminders
1 Samuel 7:12 (NIV)In this passage from the book of 1 Samuel, we see that the prophet Samuel set up a "reminder stone"—a small monument to the faithfulness of God. Every time he would encounter it or remember that he set it there, he would be reminded that in all circumstances right up to the time when he set it there, the Lord had been faithful.
Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer [which means stone of help], saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
It is in this spirit that we as believers must take steps to embed within our hearts the promises God makes to us. He is faithful. And His faithfulness must motivate and drive us.
To live with an "As If" faith, we must make it a habit, a routine practice of reminding ourselves of God's promises, of His nature. In our book for this study If: Trading Your If Only Regrets for God's What If Possibilities, chapter 9 is called "The Anchoring Effect." At the risk of encouraging readers to become pack rats, author Mark Batterson encourages us to set up physical reminders around us, objects that "anchor," speak to us about God's faithfulness in the past, and thus encourage us for the future as they remind us of WHO God is. He calls these objects "mezuzahs" (in essence, a sign of faith—Google this!) and says that "The Israelites would often use stones to build altars. I use just about anything and everything you can imagine." (page 90)
The concept appeals to me greatly. For example, my husband and I have made it a practice over time to purchase at least one Christmas ornament for every trip we take together, or for significant celebrations we commemorate by going places or doing special things. We started doing this during a very trying time in our married life together, when we celebrated an anniversary by going to Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA. (This was back in the days when we had moved out to the Philadelphia area for a few years.) Money was tight and stress was high. We were homesick and dealing with tremendous heartache.
Our anniversary is December 18th, one week before Christmas. Longwood was gorgeously decorated, both inside the conservatories, and outside on the grounds. In the freezing cold, we walked arm-in-arm, enjoying the elegant light displays and the peace of a clear, starry, Christmastime night. The visit was a balm to our weary souls. That night, we purchased an ornament from the gift shop, a sculpture of a beautiful red cardinal perched upon holly and fir. To this day, each Christmas when I fasten the cardinal to our Christmas tree, I am reminded of that night and the great Prince of Peace who pulled us through that era of our lives.
He is faithful.
We have since drawn our children into our practice. On every vacation, the kiddos help me shop for Christmas ornaments. Then as we decorate our tree, we say, "Oh, remember that trip? That was the time that we...[insert fun memory here]." Christmastime is precious as we bathe in those memories and reflect upon the blessings of God.
A few months ago, when I started this blog, I wanted an ongoing visual reminder of the hope I've had for how God might take this little effort of mine, and the ways in which He might use me in ministry. While right now, I plug away with my studying and writing, praying that this work would bear fruit and help bring people into the Kingdom of God, I have not yet seen that fruit in a tangible way. But I know that even as I wait, God is working WITHIN ME. I am encouraged by these daily reminders on my wall:
The Lord promises wisdom. He promises power. He wants us to earnestly seek Him in this, and cause His Kingdom to grow. He wants His word to be spread. My little creative effort with Mod Podge and canvas provides for anyone who enters my home a tangible reminder of the mighty work God wants to do in our lives. It helps push me every day to seek Him, even on those days when I honestly don't feel like it!
Developing an "As If" faith sometimes requires these extra reminders to provide fuel for the fire. Batterson puts a lot of emphasis on tangible things you can do to fuel your faith—in his book, he makes this a thematic element. He calls out optimism and attitude. He suggests writing down life goals, keeping a gratitude journal, developing a thank-you-note habit, and gathering around you anything that will keep your mind focused on the goodness of Jesus Christ, regardless of your circumstances. He says that behaving and thinking "As If" has amazing potential. An "As If" attitude can drive your choices and lead you down mental paths that bring the goodness of God to the world around you. Contrast this with a focus on the things that go wrong...which do you think is better for your faith? For the faith of those you encounter every day?
Who Does God Say You Are?
Developing your "As If" faith requires understanding who God says you are.I wanted to touch on this idea because we live in a world that has a lot of really awful things to say about us. If you spend enough time out there, you are going to hear that you aren't attractive enough, talented enough, smart enough, rich enough. Remember, though, that when Jesus prayed for His disciples, He specifically stated:
John 17: 15-19 (NIV)Notice Jesus did not pray that God would remove them from the world. They would be exposed to all the nasty messes the world would dish out. They would be subject to attacks of every kind. "If the world hates you," He said, "keep in mind that it hated Me first." (John 15:18, NIV)
"My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth. As You sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify Myself, that they too may be truly sanctified."
Yes, Jesus prayed for their protection, but more importantly, He prayed that they would be sanctified. To be sanctified is to be set apart for the work of God. It is to be made holy. Jesus was praying that the work of God would be manifest through them so that they could get out into the world and spread the gospel. Anything bad that happened to them at the hands of the world, therefore, served God's larger purpose of bringing people to Him. The world dished out some rotten stuff to the disciples—they suffered and died for the sake of the Kingdom. But those actions of the world, rooted in the attitudes of the world, did NOT express the Truth of God.
Can you imagine if the disciples had used the state of the world to tell them what was real, what was true? The gospel of Jesus Christ would never have been spread! Instead, the disciples, and the Church they founded in Jesus's name, defied the supposed "truth" of the world and fixed their eyes on Jesus. What the world said was of no consequence...the only thing that mattered was what God said.
And what God says is that YOU are more than a conqueror—we get this straight from the Great 8: "we are more than conquerors." (Romans 8:37)
Romans 8:31-34 (NIV)The apostles stubbornly clung to this truth. They held onto it right up to the moment of their deaths. Death for them was not a moment in which they were defeated, but rather it was the moment that ushered them into the presence of the Lord, where we can confidently say that He embraced them with a hearty, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:23) and rewarded them for their faith and perseverance.
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Dear friend, if you struggle in this world, if there's depression or anxiety or pain or frustration or grief, if there are unthinkable circumstances from which you need deliverance, remember that God has promised you that NONE of that will be wasted. The Lord will work it all for good. Take up the attitude that even though you have trouble in the world (John 16:33), this trouble does NOT nullify the promises of God to you. His faithfulness to you endures.
Focus on who Jesus says you are. Keep your eyes on Him...keep your attitude positive and embrace the optimism that nothing the world dishes out will cause God to stumble. The enemy wants to discourage you and keep you from being a force for the Kingdom of God. But if you STUBBORNLY take up an "As If" faith, trust me when I tell you that even the slightest, weakest prayers you pray will cause some destruction upon the gates of hell. That is the POWER the Holy Spirit wants to give you, if only you will set your mind on Him.
I'll end here with Batterson's words:
"When you're in trouble, take heart: He has overcome the world. [John 16:33] When you're lonely, don't forget: He will never leave you nor forsake you. [Deuteronomy 31:6] When you feel like you've lost your way, remember: He orders your footsteps. [Proverbs 16:9]" (page 97)You are more than a conqueror!
