The challenge of Faith.

Trusting God

The real test of love and faith is when we are willing to put someone else before our own needs even when we are struggling ourselves. The word sacrifice is very rare in our modern world. The love of God is to put someone else before our own needs. That will cost us. Unfortunately, today people don’t want the cost of following God. The two stories below are about people who put God and others first.

The story behind the praying hands is a very moving one.  I was told this story many years ago by a dear friend named Paul who was a Religious Education teacher.

It is a story about two brothers who wanted to study art. They were both talented artists but they were poor. They decided one would work in the mines to support the other to go to art school. They tossed a coin. Albrecht went to art school while his brother worked in the mines to support him. After 4 years, when Albrecht returned to his village, he found his brother’s hands that had supported him had been marred due to the hard labor in the mines. His brother could not even hold a paint brush. A big sacrifice had been made for the other brother to achieve his ambition.

The greatest sacrifice of all was the sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus came into the world to save people from their sins. But let’s look at the Christmas story and the sacrifice of Mary.

Mary was a teenager when the angel Gabriel appeared to her and said, “You have found favor with God. You will have a son and you will name Jesus.” “How is this possible as I am virgin?” asked Mary.

“The Lord is with you. This is all to do with God and his divine intervention”, replied Angel Gabriel.

“May it be as you have said, I am the Lord’s servant”, replied Mary.

Imagine Mary had been told she was going to have a son. She was a teenager and not married. The questions that must have been running through her mind? What will people think of me when they find out I am pregnant? What would Joseph think of me when he finds out? Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph.

Mary did not know how it would all work out but she had surrendered everything to God. That is faith in God. We can be overcome by our fears or surrender everything to God as Mary did. God spoke to Joseph in a dream and said take Mary as your wife as the child is from God.

The journey for Mary was not easy when Jesus was about to be born. There was no place in the inn. Jesus was born in a stable. Jesus identified with millions of children who are today born in poverty. Its wasn’t a birth in comfort.  After Jesus had been born. Mary and Joseph had to escape to Egypt as Herod had ordered all the babies in Bethlehem to be killed. The journey with God is often not easy as it requires sacrifice and commitment but it is definitely worth it. ( The story of Mary and Jesus is found in the Bible).

Dear God

I have my fears

I have my doubts

I have my worries about how things would turn out for my family and me.

In the midst of all my turmoil and my failings.

I surrender everything to you

I trust you

I believe in you

To work it all out.

Amen By harbajan (servant of Jesus). 13/12/2024 www.godislove.me.uk