Fight On

How easy it is to falter. Our weak human nature doesn't want discipline, doesn't want hard work, doesn't want the straight and narrow path. Oh, to just swing away our life in a great summer hammock and doze off to the crickets singing. It is so easy to be lulled away from our army post. We must resist.

Paul wrote this to the church in Colosse: "For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ."(Colossians 2:5) "Good discipline" and "stability of faith" -- these two can pull us back to reality.

When we get sloppy in our prayer life or negligent in our good works, discipline can put us back on track. When we forget the greatness of our God or become pessimistic and discouraged, faith can overcome our doubts. In fact, stable faith can even out the high and low places we encounter all along life.

Let's remember that we are called to battle and this battleground (earth) is a very temporary place. Soon we will be called to an eternal furlough and our hammock will be more pleasurable and the crickets will sing a sweeter song. Time enough then for lulling and dozing.

For now--fight on

Teaspoon of Faith

After coming to know the gracious grace of God, don't you sometimes wonder how you stayed in the dark so long? I remember I just couldn't SEE it until the day I could finally SEE it. But even though I appeared to be totally blind there was a measure of faith at work within me. It wasn't saving faith yet but it would be.

Romans 12:3 says; "as God has allotted to each a measure of faith."Even in our blindness there is a portion of faith inside each of us - enough to prepare us to believe. In my case, small things I didn't notice at the time were influencing me to look up to God. Many people, events and prayers played a part and God's hand was tending my "measure" until I was ready.

You may wonder how the one you are praying for can ever turn around and receive God's love. It may look like they have utterly rejected every attempt of the Lord to reach them. Maybe they have so far. But don't forget about the measure of faith.

Keep praying and your prayers will help to cultivate whatever faith God has already apportioned to them. Don't worry about how small it may seem now. Maybe yours was smaller than theirs in the beginning. When God activates faith, even a teaspoon is enough.

We turn now to the Seven Gifts of the sanctifying category. They are: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord.

They each perfect certain basic virtues. Four of them perfect the intellectual virtues. Understanding gives an intuitive penetration into truth. Wisdom perfects charity, in order to judge divine things. Knowledge perfects the virtue of hope. The gift of counsel perfects prudence.

The other three gifts perfect virtues of the will and appetites. The gift of piety perfects justice in giving to others that which is their due. This is especially true of giving God what is His due. Fortitude perfects the virtue of fortitude, in facing dangers. Fear of the Lord perfects temperance in controlling disordered appetites.

The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit by Rev. William G. Most