Originally published Monday, 22 August 2016.
Foundational Principle #5: Pursue faith over comfort, convenience, and worldly standards.
For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 NASB
Sometimes when my hubby comes home from work and the house is strewn with toys, folded-but-not-put-away laundry, an unfinished project, and the beginnings of (but not finished) dinner, I’d really like to have this verse displayed over our home! Don’t look at the mess, just see past it, in faith (wink, wink!). But truly, seeing our lives with eyes of faith often does indeed mean looking past a lot of things that could otherwise trip us up.
We have to look past our child’s difficult season of life to see the beautiful person they are becoming, and will be after this rough patch. Sometimes we have to see our marriage with eyes of faith, and know that we will get through this hard season and in the end it will all be so very worth it.
When Paul wrote that we must walk by faith instead of sight, he was specifically speaking in reference to heaven and all the good that awaits us there. When we view our lives with heaven in mind, it lifts our eyes, enabling us see past our mundane duties to our holy callings and purpose.
Sometimes the smallest act of love or compassion can be a conduit of Christ for another person in ways we wouldn’t imagine. In youth ministry, we had a lot of kids that come and go. You don’t connect with all of them the way you wish you did, but you pray over all of them, do your best, and ask the Lord to do “through us what is beyond us.” One of the girls who only came a handful of times, told her mother how much it meant to her that I always invited her to sit with me. She never took me up on the invite that I can remember. Much too cool for that. But years later her mom told me how significant it was for her daughter that I wanted her around. I didn’t know it but she’d had been through a terrible experience with her step-father. She was so wounded and a little love, apparently, went a long way. At the time, I had no idea she even cared that I greeted her at the door. There might be someone in your life that is soaking up any ounce of love or grace you send their way and you don’t even know how much it means to them!
My grandfather was a man who profoundly impacted my life for the best. He regularly had a precious word of encouragement for me--and everyone around him. I think that was his gift in life. He’s had a heavenly address for over a decade now, but I can still hear and feel his words of blessing.
Small things. Simple acts. Mundane moments. But all with lasting effect.
If we could live with eyes of faith, the daily irritations wouldn’t grate on us so deeply and we’d see the significance of snuggling our little ones a little longer or texting an “I love you” to our spouse. Even if, like the teen in our youth group, it doesn’t look like it makes any difference, love always has a way of making a difference. A heavenly, lasting, kingdom kind of difference.
This is part five of the eight part series: Walking in the Spirit for Your Family.
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