Lesson from the Monkey Bars

Good Wednesday morning. Thanks to Terri, “A”, and Ruth who posted comments yesterday. I’m sure having fun here.

Did you like to play on your grade school jungle gym? I did, though I tended to gravitate toward the safe equipment such as the slide, climbing bars, or the overhead bar that looked like a ladder. Even if I lost my grip, I wouldn’t fall far to the ground. Sometimes if I were really brave, I might swing from the rings, which were higher. But there was this swinging bar (is there a special name?) where these young budding gymnasts would jump up, grab the bar, wrap their legs around it, and swing upside down like a monkey. Once they’d achieved the right momentum, they’d let go, flip through the air and always land on their feet.

How fun! I wanted to try it, too. Except I was too afraid. What if I fell on my head or back? Break my arm? So I decided if I studied my friends for awhile, maybe I’d learn how they actually did it. Then I, too, could fly through the air and land on my feet.

After some time, though, I realized that for all my observing I wasn’t one bit braver. I was just plain chicken. I could witness my classmates land on their feet a thousand times and it wouldn’t matter. Truth was, I didn’t believe it would work for me. So I never tried and I never shared their exhilaration of flying through the air and landing on my feet.

My relationship with God is similar. I can never muster up enough faith to believe God is all that He says He is — no matter how much I want it or will it so. Neither can you. Faith is a gift God gladly gives to anyone who wants to receive it.

But if that’s true, what’s our part in believing? Our part is to respond to the insight He’s given us so far. If you know nothing about God, that might mean a new desire to ask a question about God you’ve never cared to ask before. God knows that “one question” is a big deal for you and He appreciates it. If you’ve been a Christian a long time, chances are you already know what God’s asking of you at the moment. You know your “next step” of faith.

When I explained on Monday the meaning behind my blog When I Remember . . . that is, the strength and encouragement that comes when I remember God loves me, I imagined that at least for some, this was a loaded statement. As much as some Christians wish it were not so, they don’t really believe deep down God loves them — at least not the way the Bible says.

Oh, they’ve got their theology straight. They may be serving Him faithfully in their churches and their lives. Yet they stand at the base of life’s “swinging bar” trying to convince themselves they’ll land on their feet if they could just believe God loves them more — if they trusted He wants their best at every turn. Instead, they fear they’re failing God somehow because they just don’t love Him enough.

Sometimes this is me. We all have our pockets of resistance where trust is difficult. Thankfully, God knows those pockets and knows exactly how do break through them. So what do I do when my faith falters? I ask God to show Himself to me in a fresh way. And then I watch to see Him work. But while I’m watching, I’m always remembering. Remembering His past faithfulness to me.

Don’t forget. God loved us first and He loves us most. No changing that. It’s a done deal. Remember and thank Him the best you can today. That’s your part.

“Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)