Faith-Filled Diligence
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6
CS Lewis's pronouncement in The Weight of Glory is so famous as to be part of the Christian's intellectual wallpaper, initially novel but thereafter largely ignored. Still, we need to listen from time to time when he proclaims, ""If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the reward promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong but too weak. We are halfhearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us. We are far too easily pleased."
Therein, Lewis provides an interesting rephrasing of the principle of Hebrews 11:6. The author of that epistle won't let the concept of faith drift into the ether of good intentions. Right belief, that writer insists, is rooted first in Who God is, but as a close second flowing from that Nature in the intrinsic, unquenchable drive, God has to reward His faith-filled creatures. He is, Hebrews establishes. He rewards.
How does good theology reinforced diligence, for He rewards those who DILIGENTLY seek Him? Because God created them and has an ongoing interest in them, life's details are transmuted and infused with purpose. What we might easily see as an earthly distraction from Heavenly realities suddenly becomes an opportunity to see Him at work, and, by faith, to join Him in that work in circumstances He has specifically chosen for us. We can be encouraged by the context that this was written to Jewish believers scattered from their precious homeland that was a constant, visual reinforcement of God's favor. They felt scattered, and so, sometimes, do we.
Yet, Hebrews answers, diligent attention to the details we can be aware of is faith's answer to the frantic, the frustrated, the fearful. Going left when He says go left is faith made manifest. A cup of water offered to a little child in His Name is faith made manifest. It is a specific counter to the regret and bitterness that we would have done more IF. His reward, starting with Himself, is so staggering, we agree with Lewis, that we will not have room for regret hereafter and might begin to unhitch from it now.
CS Lewis's pronouncement in The Weight of Glory is so famous as to be part of the Christian's intellectual wallpaper, initially novel but thereafter largely ignored. Still, we need to listen from time to time when he proclaims, ""If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the reward promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong but too weak. We are halfhearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us. We are far too easily pleased."
Therein, Lewis provides an interesting rephrasing of the principle of Hebrews 11:6. The author of that epistle won't let the concept of faith drift into the ether of good intentions. Right belief, that writer insists, is rooted first in Who God is, but as a close second flowing from that Nature in the intrinsic, unquenchable drive, God has to reward His faith-filled creatures. He is, Hebrews establishes. He rewards.
How does good theology reinforced diligence, for He rewards those who DILIGENTLY seek Him? Because God created them and has an ongoing interest in them, life's details are transmuted and infused with purpose. What we might easily see as an earthly distraction from Heavenly realities suddenly becomes an opportunity to see Him at work, and, by faith, to join Him in that work in circumstances He has specifically chosen for us. We can be encouraged by the context that this was written to Jewish believers scattered from their precious homeland that was a constant, visual reinforcement of God's favor. They felt scattered, and so, sometimes, do we.
Yet, Hebrews answers, diligent attention to the details we can be aware of is faith's answer to the frantic, the frustrated, the fearful. Going left when He says go left is faith made manifest. A cup of water offered to a little child in His Name is faith made manifest. It is a specific counter to the regret and bitterness that we would have done more IF. His reward, starting with Himself, is so staggering, we agree with Lewis, that we will not have room for regret hereafter and might begin to unhitch from it now.
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