Body of Christ

Daughters of the Heavenly Father

A few years ago I had a friend who was a daddy’s girl. From what I observed, she and her father seemed to understand each other well and enjoy one another’s company. Then all of a sudden her father failed her family in a big way. I knew she was devastated. The life she knew was shattered, and I tried my best to be there for her even though I couldn’t relate. It seemed like the idea of a good, heavenly Father began to fade after this moment in her life.

Maybe you have a similar story of your own. Maybe your father or a father figure in your life let you down, and it’s hard to comprehend a loving, heavenly Father. I believe one of the hardest lessons to learn in life is that people will let us down. Sometimes they’ll leave scars. Sometimes their words and actions resound in our hearts and minds to the point that we begin to trust no one. However, we should always be able to have confidence in our Father.

For some, it might be hard to trust the Father because of His relationship with Jesus. You might be thinking, “The Father sacrificed His only Son! How could He truly love Jesus?” We must remember two things when reflecting on this relationship. First, the Father sacrificed His Son in order to save us. This was the only way. In Scripture, sacrifices had to be perfect, and it had to mean something to the one offering the sacrifice. Jesus was (and still is) perfect in every way. He was/is God. He is a part of the Father (“I and the Father are one”- John 10:22), which means that this sacrifice hurt the Father tremendously. The second thing to remember is that Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself. Consider John 10:14-15 where Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.” He continues these thoughts in vv. 17-18, “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.” Jesus trusted the Father even knowing that His sacrifice was coming. His reason for dying, His sheep (us), outweighed the pain of death. I say all of this to encourage you that everything the Father does is out of love. Our earthly fathers make mistakes. Sometimes they’re there for us and try really hard. Other times they’re non-existent. But our heavenly Father is ALWAYS there, and ALWAYS loves. We just have to be willing to trust Him and follow Him down the path He has designed for us.

I realize that some of you may have great fathers, but maybe there have been other men in your life that have let you down. Maybe you’ve entered relationships that have left you feeling hurt and hopeless, and the idea of turning to your heavenly Father is not appealing because of this hurt. Consider Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman in John 4. Verses 6 and 8 explain that Jesus is weary from his journey from Judea to Samaria, and His disciples go into the city while Jesus rests at Jacob’s well. During this time a Samaritan woman comes to draw water (v. 7). Now we know that nothing is a coincidence when it comes to Jesus meeting people. Even though the woman comes to draw water, Jesus engages in conversation with her first (v. 7). This was a big deal not only because He spoke with a woman alone, but Jews didn’t interact with Samaritans (v. 9). Despite this fact, Jesus simply asks her for a drink. The Samaritan woman is confused and asks why He chooses to talk with a Samaritan woman since He is a Jew. Right from the start Jesus turns a simple request for water into an invitation to eternal life: “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water” (v. 10). Again, the woman seems to be confused by what Jesus tells her and about who He is (vv. 11-12). Jesus continues His salvation message in vv. 13-14: “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

In v. 15 the woman still doesn’t seem to understand what Jesus is telling her. She still thinks in terms of her physical thirst. Jesus then says, “Go, call your husband and come here” (v. 16). This seems random at first, but Jesus knows what He’s doing. The woman replies, “I have no husband” (v. 17) after which Jesus confirms that this is true because she’s already had five husbands and is living with a man who is not her husband (v. 18). Scripture has finally revealed why this woman is drawing water by herself with no other women around. A woman with such a reputation was an outcast from society. Scripture does not explain what happened in her relationships, but I think it is unlikely that all of her husbands had died. Yet, despite her social status, Jesus chooses to talk with her. At this point in the conversation the woman perceives Jesus to be a prophet (v. 19). She then discusses how the Samaritans and Jews worship in different places (v. 20), but Jesus explains that in a short while true worshippers of God won’t worship on the mountain or in Jerusalem. Instead, they will worship the Father in spirit and truth (vv. 21-24). Basically, He’s telling her that it doesn’t matter if a person is a Jew or Samaritan or even what she has done in her life. The Father desires worshippers who will truly seek Him. As we know, Christ will be the One to bridge the gap between Jews and Gentiles on the cross, but He’s already telling this woman that ethnicity and gender will not hinder a person from being part of the kingdom of God. The woman confesses that she knows that the Messiah is coming, and He will declare all things. Jesus then reveals that He is the One (vv. 25-26). After this, the woman declares what she has heard to the men in the city.

In the meantime, the disciples meet up with Jesus again and encourage Him to eat (despite their confusion seeing Jesus speaking to a woman) (v. 31). Jesus explains that “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work” (v. 34). I believe that in the context of this passage, the Father’s will was for Jesus to share God’s salvation with the Samaritan woman. Why is this? Let’s check out vv. 39-42, “From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, ‘He told me all the things that I have done.’ So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. Many more believed because of His word; and they were saying to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.’” The woman could have walked away from Jesus when He confronted her about her past and her current lifestyle. However, I believe she realized that even though He knew everything about her, He was still willing to share something important with her. The Father knew that she would be the one to spread the good news to the men of the city who knew her reputation. Maybe that’s what caught their attention. Many of them believed that Jesus was the Messiah because of her testimony.

I don’t want to infer too much about this passage, but I think it’s safe to say that the Samaritan woman was hurt by some people in her life. It also seems like that she made some poor choices based on her current lifestyle. Ultimately, being an outcast couldn’t have been easy, but the Father approached her through Christ. He gave her hope that there’s something better to come. I’m sure it was tough to hear all the things that the Messiah knew about her. No one wants to be exposed like that. But it was done out of love so that she could come to know salvation as a true child of God.

Reflecting on this story, it is apparent that the Father views His daughters as important and precious. Not all of us have gone through the same experiences as the Samaritan woman, and I’m not suggesting that we’ve all made poor choices in our relationships. I know there are women who have been abused and worse. But we need to know and believe that the Father is always good. His desire is that we will always come to Him with our hurt and be healed. We can’t compare what is earthly and temporary with what is perfect and eternal. Let us trust Him today for He is Hope. He is always there when we turn to Him.

I mentioned in the beginning of this post that I had a friend who was hurt by her father’s decisions. During that time I wrote a song for her from God’s perspective. I hope you find it encouraging as you continue to follow God and trust Him.

My Daughter (originally written May 30, 2008)

(Verses)

You are precious, My daughter.

I cover you.

You are priceless, My child.

I will heal you.

I will lift you up.

I will bandage your wounds.

Come to me, come to me,

come to me, My beloved.

 

You see yourself unworthy.

I see you a queen.

You have captured My heart

with one glance towards Me.

You are beautiful, My love.

You are worth it all to Me.

 

(Chorus)

Why do you hide from me, your King?

Don’t you know I see you crying?

I long to see you dancing again.

I look upon you in adoration.

You are My desire.

Cry no more, My child.

I will show you love,

My perfect love,

Your Father’s love.

 

(Verse)

Reach for me My daughter.

I’m reaching for you.

I embrace you, My child.

I am strengthening you.

I promise to love you

for all My days,

for eternity,

always.

I’m loving you always.

© Lauren Heiligenthal

Denomination…Abomination?

Okay, maybe abomination is too strong of a word, but I had to get your attention. There have been a few questions/thoughts on my mind for some time now regarding church disunity: How can the body of Christ be a body if it is dismembered? I suppose a person could argue that a dismembered body is still a body, but then how can it function properly if the pieces are disconnected? Interestingly, the idea of denominations (divisions) didn’t start with the Reformation. Paul discusses the same topic in 1 Corinthians; however, based on what he says, I don’t think he’d approve of where the church is today.

Before getting to the heart of the matter (1 Cor. 3:1-7), let’s briefly run through how Paul opens his letter to the Corinthians. He first identifies himself as an apostle of God (1:1), one who has been given authority within the church. Then he mentions how the church in Corinth has been sanctified by Christ (1:2) and continues to describe how they’ve been well-endowed with gifts (1:7). Verse 9 describes how they were called by God into fellowship with Jesus Christ. Paul’s message has been positive thus far towards the Corinthians. If you look at Paul’s other letters they typically open with what the church is doing well followed by exhortation. In vv. 10-15 Paul begins his exhortation: “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, ‘I am of Paul,’ and ‘I of Apollos,’ and ‘I of Cephas,’ and ‘I of Christ.’ Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” Paul continues to say that he was sent to preach the gospel, “not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void” (1:17). He explains that the gospel is foolishness to the world, but to those who have been called, this gospel is their (our) salvation. Those who boast should boast in the Lord, not man (1:31).

In chapter 2, Paul discusses the role of the Spirit in his gospel message: “I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God” (2:3-5). The Spirit also plays a significant role in the lives of all Christians, “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual (thoughts) with spiritual (words)” (2:11-13; NASB translation adds the words in parentheses). Think about this for a minute. As Christians we have the Spirit of God, the same Spirit who searches the depths of God (2:10). We can know God’s will because we have His Spirit, and Paul affirms that we have the mind of Christ (2:16). So why are we so divided? Why do we have differing beliefs that keep us from communing with one another? Paul, Peter, John, and Luke taught the same message to the church, and I believe that the Gospels agree. Maybe what Paul says next to the Corinthians will shed some light on these questions.

“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not mere men? What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth” (3:1-7). As we read earlier the Corinthians had many gifts, and 2 Cor. 8 indicates that they were financially stable. So what was the problem with this body of believers? If we look again at what Paul says, notice that he points out their spiritual condition. He uses the analogy of milk and solid food. He first gives them milk to drink, which makes sense when people start their Christian walk. The problem is that the Corinthians should be maturing and ready for spiritual food, but they aren’t. They’re still babies, so to speak. What keeps them spiritually immature? Their own flesh (3:3). They allow jealousy and strife to remain among them. Paul also points out that he and other messengers of God are simply that, messengers. GOD is the one who causes the growth. Another example of a messenger was Martin Luther. During the Reformation, he stood up against the Catholic Church because of his own convictions while studying Scripture. This was the beginning of Protestantism, but from what I’ve learned about Luther, he didn’t like the term Lutherans. It wasn’t until after his death that his followers began to identify themselves as such. Each denomination starts with the beliefs of one man or a group of men. Now, I’m not suggesting that people shouldn’t discuss or defend their beliefs. I think we’re all grateful for Luther’s boldness and willingness to search the Scriptures for himself. He followed God’s Word despite what he had been taught his whole life. I believe this is something we should do. What I am saying is that men create denominations, not God. God uses people as messengers to teach His truth, and this truth should not contradict itself if we all have the same Spirit.

Let’s flip ahead to 1 Corinthians 12. In this text Paul talks about spiritual gifts. He says, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (12:4-7). This passage is insightful because it demonstrates that all gifts, ministries, and effects from these things derive from the same place: God (note the allusion to the Trinity). This also means that if two people claim to have the same gift, but they somehow contradict each other, there needs to be a reexamination of Scripture. Because we have the same Spirit, gifts, ministries, and the effects should be consistent. Paul lists different gifts in 1 Cor. 3:8-10 and then adds some important information: “But one and the same Spirit works all these things (the gifts), distributing to each one individually just as He wills. For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many” (3:11-14). The beauty of being part of the body is that we all have our roles to fulfill. Each member of the body is important, but we have to be unified. What’s even more interesting is that one member of the body is not more important than another. We may think church leaders are more important, but consider vv. 21-26, “And the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’; or again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”

What if we functioned this way? What if we cared for the WHOLE body this much? This includes all followers of God in every denomination. What if we worked out our disagreements instead of splitting? When we continue to divide, it only leads to bitterness, anger, malice, etc. It also allows room for the enemy to take root and prosper among us. Instead of having three churches right next to each other, why don’t we have one meeting place in a town and have community? Imagine if we could provide for each other’s needs by using our own talents, gifts, finances, material possessions, etc. (Note: I’m NOT referring to socialism in any way. I’m talking about believers helping other believers). There wouldn’t have to be just one or two leaders preparing a message every week (less stress), but we could learn from a group of leaders (elders and deacons; 1 Tim. 3) and from each other. Not only would the church be free from divisions, but the world would be dumbfounded to see Christians actually functioning as a unified body. I’m not sure if all Christians are interested in such a change, but what about you?

Do I think denominations are abominations? Not necessarily. Do I think they have allowed the church to be a light to the world? Yes, albeit a dim light. We are called to bring truth and be a BRIGHT light. I think each denomination holds a facet of truth, so why not bring it all together? Let us wrestle with the tough issues. Let us not be so greatly influenced by our culture that we change our theology to fit current trends. Paul writes in Eph. 4:1-6, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance (note: “tolerance” is in the context of having patience, not simply tolerating everything people do) for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” Notice the emphasis on unity, and how we are to act towards one another. Among other instructions, Paul adds in vv. 31-32, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has also forgiven you.” Even though I’ve only looked at two NT churches, it seems clear that there were disunity issues even in the first century. However, they were supposed to change their hearts and attitudes towards one another. A couple of millennia later, I think the challenge is still the same.

Well I have written much, but I’ll end this post with a song I wrote almost five years ago. It begins by imploring God to help me fix myself, and then continues by asking God to forgive and help the church make a change so that we can be conquerors (spiritually) in this world.

Conquer (originally written December 2, 2009)

(Verse)

Peel back the layers.

Dig down deep,

And pull out the best of me. (Oh)

I am tired of my selfishness,

A revealing disease.

Oh God, please, discover the best of You in me.

 

(Chorus)

I can’t go on like this with such bitterness as my companion.

Change me from within.

Break my life from sin.

Give me new eyes so that I can see clearly.

 

(Verse)

Wars are raging between the Bride for whom you died.

Oh God, why? (why)

Jealousy, anger, brokenness.

We can only ask for Your forgiveness.

 

(Chorus)

We can’t go on like this with such haughtiness as our companion.

Change us from within.

Break our lives from sin.

Bring us together.

Make us whole again:

One body.

 

(Bridge)

Teach us how to love, to serve, to laugh, and dream.

Give us strength to rise when we fall.

We will conquer all.

We will conquer all.

We have conquered all because You are the power in us.

 

________________________

I hope you’ve been encouraged by the Word and challenged by my questions and thoughts. Let us keep uplifting one another in love.

© Lauren Heiligenthal

Faith Like a Child

If something or someone is described as being childish, it’s usually not a good thing. Childish behavior often connotes immaturity. However, Christians are encouraged to have childlike faith. It sounds simple enough, but all too often worry supersedes faith. This has been a constant challenge in my life. My faith begins to falter whenever I think about bills, student loans, getting a job, etc. I then start to worry about what other people think, and before I know it, I’m on a downward spiral, losing my trust in the Lord. Children, on the other hand, are quite different.

Children are amazing creatures. Anyone who has had children or been around them long enough can attest to this. I’ve spent the last 18 months helping to take care of wonderful (and sometimes crazy) twin boys. There are many times when they’ve tried my patience, but they’ve taught me so much about God the Father’s relationship to His children. At birth, these boys were helpless on their own. They needed their parents and me to do everything for them. They had no choice in the matter. As they’ve grown up they’ve learned that we will take care of their needs. In the early stages, their cries signaled hunger and wet diapers. When they were learning how to walk they knew we would be right there to help them. Nowadays, when they play they throw themselves backwards with complete trust that we will catch them (even though it scares me sometimes!). They hold out their hands when they need help getting off their manually-pushed vehicles, and when they fall they know we’ll be waiting with open arms. They also learn by being disciplined even though it’s hard to do sometimes. All in all, children have no worries. They know their parents will take care of them for their every need. This is how we are supposed to be too. After all, we are called the children of God.

Many of us are familiar with the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. All too often it’s cut up into pieces for the sake of a brief sermon, or we focus on a bunch of different themes within the text and take them one at a time. Most (if not all) translations break this text up into different sections with their own headings. While there are different topics within these chapters, it is important to read the text altogether to grasp the overarching message. For instance, it is significant to note in Matt. 5:1-2 that Jesus is speaking to His disciples; however, I believe this is referring to all of those who were following Christ (not just the 12) because not all of the twelve have been chosen yet. He is teaching them how disciples are supposed to think and act, being distinguished from the unbelieving Gentile and the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees (Matt. 5). As a disciple, one’s righteousness should not be put on display for all to see, but rather one should honor the Father rather than himself/herself. The discussion on prayer in Matt. 6:5-14 is interesting because it focuses on having faith in the Father. In vv. 5-6, Jesus’ disciples are commanded not to be like the Pharisees because they only draw attention to themselves in prayer. In v. 7, disciples ought not to be like Gentiles who use many words in order to be heard by their gods. Rather, v. 8 explains that our Father already knows what we need before we even ask Him. How amazing is that! All we have to do is ask with the right intent, which is not to be glorified by men or to persuade God with all of our wonderful words, but simply to trust that He knows and provides. Notice in v. 12 (part of the Lord’s Prayer) that asking God for our needs to be met involves repenting of our sins. How can we expect God to do anything in our lives if we’re unwilling to be right with Him? However, that’s a topic for another day. Verses 16-24 seem to convey the same instructions. Disciples ought to focus on the Lord and not get caught up in the world. As v. 24 says, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” Ouch! In the American culture, this is a difficult pill to swallow. Working and being successful in one’s occupation has become a top priority for many Americans, and a number of Christians are among them. Now don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with providing for one’s family. However, when the job becomes more important than God and family, then we have a problem. So far in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes it clear that the Lord should be one’s focus.

Now that we’ve briefly covered part of the Sermon, let’s take a look at Matt. 6:25-34. Remember that v. 24 talks about how a person cannot serve both God and wealth. Verse 25 then comments, “For this reason (note: refers back to what Jesus just said earlier in the Sermon) I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” This sounds a lot like instructions on how to have childlike faith. As I wrote above, children know their needs will be met somehow. We should also not be worried about having our needs met. What’s also encouraging is that Jesus paints a picture in vv. 26-29 of how God takes care of things that seem insignificant: the birds of the air and lilies of the field. He then asks a pointed question to His disciples in v. 30, “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!” If God takes care of perishable, temporary things, will He not also take care of us who will spend eternity with Him? Something to ponder. Verse 32 repeats the same message in v. 8: the heavenly Father knows our needs. But here’s the kicker, the whole point to Jesus’ message so far: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (v. 33). We’ve heard this preached many times, but do we understand it? What if God asked you to quit your job? What if He told you to move and leave everyone you know behind? What if He asked you to go to school knowing that you would be in debt for a time (I’m experiencing this one)? Even if you don’t understand the full picture of why God asks you to do something, will you do it anyway? When we ask children to stay back from the oven or to hold our hands when crossing the street, they don’t understand why, but we know the dangers. When they listen to us, we save them from potential disaster. When they don’t obey, they might get a burned hand or worse, get hit by a car. Part of having childlike faith is doing what the world thinks is crazy (Consider 1 Cor. 3:18-19a, “Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God.”) But we shouldn’t worry because worry leads to that downward spiral away from God.

Going back to the Sermon on the Mount, Matt. 7:7-11 reiterates the same teaching about the Father that we read in Matt. 6:25-34. Jesus tells his disciples to ask, knock, and seek, and they will receive what they seek. He then gives an everyday example in vv. 9-11, “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” We can relate to what Jesus is saying here. People who love their children only want to give the best they can. Our Father is the same way.

Also something to note, this is NOT a health and wellness teaching or prosperity gospel because such doctrines only focus on ourselves and what WE want. This is a “put God first” teaching, and He will bless you for your faith. Will you be tried and tested? Yes! Part of being a Christian is standing firm when the world comes against you. Your family may even come against you for following God (even Christian families). But Jesus encourages His disciples in Matt. 7:13-14 to “Enter the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Notice, there are only two choices. There’s the way of the world, or God’s way, despite what some people teach nowadays. Jesus also encourages His disciples to have discernment regarding people who claim to be godly. Such people either produce good or bad fruit despite their outward appearance (vv. 15-23). Lastly, in the Sermon, Jesus teaches His disciples that they should act on what they’ve heard. To trust the Father and not worry is a command to be enacted. We don’t want to be like the foolish man who built his house on the sand, but like the wise man who built his house on the rock (vv. 24-27).

Is it easy to have childlike faith? No, I don’t think so. But we MUST try. The narrow road is hard. That’s why only a few find it. I don’t think Jesus was being hyperbolic in making this statement. Our focus must be on the eternal instead of the temporary. Money and possessions tend to be dear to us, and in themselves they are not bad. I repeat, having wealth is NOT bad (despite what some preachers may say). Wealth becomes bad when we clutch it so tight that we’re unwilling to let it go when God asks us to (i.e., rich young ruler in Luke 18:18-28). When we put God first, trust Him to take care of our needs, and maintain right-standing before Him, He will provide. I preach to myself when I exhort you, my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, to stand firm, trust the Lord, and encourage each other in the faith. We are the body of Christ. Let us walk the narrow road together.

© Lauren Heiligenthal