Gold Faith

I did not intend to publish a three-week blog series with an Olympic theme, but after last week’s post HERE, I responded to a friend in the comments section with these words:

Ah, friend, but while you are living for eternity so beautifully today, your faith is more precious to Him than gold.

“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” 1 Peter 1:6-7

As I typed these famous words of 1 Peter 1:6-7, I was reminded of how valuable our faith is to God. Our faith is more valuable than gold. We watched human beings leap and weep for joy over gold medals. We watched families screaming and cheering via simulcast.

Genuine faith is as prized and celebrated by God as the people we watched celebrate gold. 

What does genuine faith look like?

• God, I don’t see the end result yet, but I trust it will be good.
• God, I am limited but I trust you can use me mightily.
• God, this situation looks hopeless but I trust you will show up and reveal your glory.
• God, I have plans for my life, but what do You want me to do?
• God, I don’t feel like obeying but I will.
• God, I don’t have the strength to love that person but I will do so using Yours.

Such faith is more precious than gold to God. I think we can have fun imagining Him hanging a gold medal around our neck for the times our faith was tested and proved genuine.

Let’s enjoy the treasures of truth for us today:

even though you must endure many trials

This is our human connection. Let’s not buy the lie that we are the only person who has difficulties, or that somehow our difficulties are far more worse then “theirs.”

for a little while

This life is not long; it just feels long. Don’t buy the lie that we have a lot of time to accomplish things, nor the lie that our struggles are going to last forever.

There is wonderful joy ahead

After this short life, the ending is a happy one for Christ followers, an eternity with intimate relationship with God and intimate relationships with every other Christ follower.

[Faith] is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold

Trials of every kind entered our existence because our relationship with God, ourselves, each other and creation broke in the garden of Eden. However, the trials are an opportunity to show that our faith is genuine.

So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

Genuine faith wins gold.

At the end, when time has ceased and eternity with God begins, who gets the praise? Notice today’s Scripture says our faith does. We can’t take credit for our salvation because we had no control over whether we ever heard the gospel in the first place or had a heart to receive it…

but God will give us credit for acts of faith and obedience.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13)

Let’s go for gold faith.

Picture Explanation: Our two newly marrieds took a vacation. Goodbye, summer.

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