Set Free

Today in my Bible study, we were talking about liturgy. One of the major things that jumped out to me was about how sanctification, or faith, is slow. As the leader said, "We are people that are shaped and formed into the image of our Savior slowly...over time."

I think as a nation, as a person, who likes to get things done and check things off lists and be productive all the time, this doesn't make sense. We talked about how the liturgy, the routine, of going to church combats the liturgy of the world, specifically the world at school. I realized that taking a few hours out of my day to give to Someone else really doesn't make sense. The process of being sanctified doesn't make sense because it is messy and slow and our very biology tries to get in the way. I forget what I learn so constantly (Take today for example. I was worried about raising money for Hungary, and I had to take time to surrender those fears and stress to God. Then I got a message from my mom saying a good chunk of money came in today, and I'm about half way to $5000! Praise God. He is faithful, and He shows me that time and time again. Hungary, specifically, is NOTHING about me, it is ALL His doing. Of course He is going to make it happen!), and I'm so foolish.

In my faithless perspective, this belief, this faith, it doesn't make any sense. Why would I do that? Why would I waste so much time and energy with this? Why would I struggle seemingly needlessly to overcome my sin when I fall back into it time and again? Why would I live with hope in something that I honestly have no guarantee of?

I was reading in 1 Corinthians 3 this morning about how the wisdom of the world is foolish and God sees straight through it. In light of what we talked about in Bible study and what I wrote above, well, it makes sense. There is something to this that just works. Faith is more than rules and a dream. There is substance. There is a reason I want to change and grow and chase wholeheartedly after Jesus. There is a reason that I want to shout to others how they, too, can go through this strange and confusing struggle called faith. And there's no way to explain except that it requires faith. I just believe this with my whole heart. And no, it doesn't really make sense from a "wise" standpoint. But living it, going through it, kicking and screaming and pushing and relenting, it is real and it is good.