For he who loves God without faith reflects on himself, while the person who loves God in faith reflects on God. ~Søren Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling
Fear and Trembling is a work by Kierkegaard in which he reflects on the Abraham and Isaac story. For me, this story is one of the most challenging in the entire Bible. What the story demonstrates is the faith of Abraham to seek where God is calling him to go beyond our logic and instincts as a parent. For those of us that try to live in our faith, when we are at the crossroads the question is how do we think about a problem. Do we seek what we want? What is the best outcome for us in a situation? A me-me way of thinking is very prevalent in our culture that values the self and individual often times above that of faith and community.
No matter the situation the inclination should be to ask where God is calling us to go. Where is God in this problem? What does God want me to do? While our natures often lend themselves to thinking of ourselves and those around us first, God calls us through our faith to think outside of our own little worldview. When confronted with a challenging or difficult situation, rather than jump to a solution oriented response, we can pause, pray, and be open to God moving. Sometimes in the open and still response we can hear that gentle wind providing answers or a lamp unto our feet, and we welcome the knowledge that we are never alone.
Prayer
God of Hope, we often go through this life and feel in control of our world and those around us. When confronted with a problem, we like to fix and get to a solution on our own. Help us to remember to turn to you for guidance, support, and a constant presence in our lives. Through every breath in and breath out, may we feel your constant presence in our lives through all the challenges that we face. In your grace, Amen.
AMEN…Thank you, Callie