I get obsessed with certain songs because of a line or a phrase that haunts me. For whatever reason, this is the way music most often speaks to me. One particular song talks about how Great God’s ways are, and I’ve become obsessed with three little words: Faithful to Restore.
God is faithful. Let that sink in for a moment. The Almighty God of the universe, creator of everything, is faithful to us. We are utterly useless and worthless to him, but He remains faithful to us. It’s pretty close to being too good to believe. I’ve often made the analogy that we are like ants compared to God. And the times we don’t understand what God is doing or why God is doing it is a lot like an ant not understanding why I do something. We, the ants, just are incapable of understanding. No matter how well God might explain it, we just could never understand.
More than most things, God’s faithfulness to us tops the list of things I just don’t get. We are literally worthless compared to God. But no matter how many times I mess up, no matter how many times I get two deals and I pick the bad one, God remains faithful. Forever and always faithful to restore me.
Why?
But even beyond the why, I want to know how. How can I be even remotely that faithful?
I sat down at Wendy’s today with some guys, and there was an older couple sitting nearby. They were dressed really well and I guess they probably had just come from church. They were in their seventies and for whatever reason, I imagined what it would be like to be in my 70s. To look back on my life. Where am I going to be when I’m his age?
And, it’s sobering because I know if it was left up to me, I have ten million ways I will blow my life up between then and now. I’m like a kid with a butter knife sitting next to an electrical outlet. I’m going to blow all this up, every bit of my life, left to my own devices.
But what’s the alternative? Faithful. Faithful to the call Christ has put on my life. Faithful to use and steward the resources God has given me. Faithful to those who put their lots with mine, who, for whatever reason, choose to follow me. Faithful to do what’s right, even and especially when it’s hard. Faithful to the Name of Jesus Christ, to not embarrass His Church with my stupidity. Faithful to who God made me to be.
There was a time in my life I wanted to be known as rich. To have so much money I could do whatever I wanted.
Then I wanted to be famous. To be recognized on the street, to have people flocking to get my autograph or to see me in concert.
Then I grew up a little bit. I wanted to be powerful. So that I could help other people. So I could reform the system, from the inside out, as I so often thought Moses should have done if he really was heir to Pharoah’s throne.
But man, now I just want to be faithful. It sounds easier but as I’ve grown up I’ve realized how much harder it is. I’m tempted daily to fall and falter. And to be honest, I give in. Probably the overwhelming majority of the time. I wish it was not so. It must not be so.
Faithful. I’m so glad God is faithful to me, because it is so difficult for me to be faithful in return.