Everyday Faith

by Megan Miller

Recently, a friend who was going through a difficult time told me she just needed to see God move in a big way, to do a miracle.  How many times have we felt the same way, that everything would be better, or perfect even, if only God would do (fill in the blank). One of our church elders was teaching recently and in his lesson, one aspect he talked about was the way God worked in the lives of his children was through other people; how when you are performing simple tasks for others or they for you, it is the Lord working through you to demonstrate his mercy and power.  It made me think about how often I tend to relegate my dear friends and the kind ways they demonstrate care as to the category of just being a good friend, without considering the reality that it is God working through them; how I can tend to look for giant answers to prayer, when it’s through the daily simple little ways Christ is working out my sanctification that I should be proclaiming unrestrained thankfulness to the Lord for his grace to consider such a wretch as me! 

I heard a very convicting song recently called “What Do I Know of Holy” by Addison Road and it really came at a rotten time for my sinful heart, but a great time to expose my selfishness.  I had had an exhausting night with my son who was up most of the night with teething pain and a cold, the two girls I nanny during the day were testing every limit, naptime was looking to be nonexistent, by early afternoon I hadn’t had a decent meal yet let alone time for running to the bathroom without some crisis.  I was just settling down to have a good pity party about how difficult my life was, when I noticed this song posted by a sweet and faithful woman who is 26 weeks pregnant with a baby boy with translocated Trisomy 13 (a fatal chromosomal disorder in which the baby will die before birth or shortly thereafter).  Even in the midst of her sorrow as she is carrying her baby to term, she still humbly accepts the Lord’s plan for her and her tiny son.  How selfish of me to be frustrated with not having a good night’s sleep, instead of thanking the Lord for my sweet and healthy baby?  To be angry at the day not going according to my plan rather than gracefully accepting the lessons God had to teach me through toddlers and preschoolers? The song speaks of how we try to hear from heaven, but we talk the whole time, how little we really know of the Lord, and how if He is the Lord who spoke us into being, and all we can do is see a minute part of who He truly is and his sovereignty, then what do we really know of holiness, and who are we to determine how things should be?  I stopped in my tracks and was ashamed of how quickly I fall into a prideful state of pity over light and momentary struggles, thinking my way is best, rather than humbly submitting my will to the Lord and praising my God for trials as they work out the glory of the Lord through the Holy Spirit’s progressive sanctification of my soul.  Romans 5 is a tremendous passage that brings me much encouragement:

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

When you are tempted to anxiety and frustration at the events of your life, remember that we have peace with the Lord and have immediate access to his throne through our Savior; that in the midst of the trial, we can rejoice in the hope of the glory of the Lord being shone through the situation and our faith, so that we can not only praise him in the midst of tribulation, but for the tribulation itself as the Lord uses it to work out our holiness and his glory; what a wonderful privilege!  When you are scrubbing the kitchen floor, when you’re answering “Why?” for the hundredth time, when you’re up at three am, when you get to the end of the day and the house is a disaster even though you’ve been cleaning all day, rejoice! The Lord is at work in your heart! How glorious to be the recipients of the vast and unmeasured love and grace the Lord has poured out upon us; take time and be willing to listen as he works through our circumstances, the lives of others, his word, and his spirit to create within our souls something of holiness, a dim reflection of the awesome Lord we serve.

Don’t grow weary in doing good, but persevere in the grace of the Lord!  As you teach your children, as you respect your husband, as you love your family, as you serve your church, as you live your life with the Lord before your community, do all for the glory of Christ, so when your short time here on earth in through, you will be able to echo the words of missionary William Borden: knowing you have lived your life with no retreat, no reserve, and no regrets, but given your all to your Lord.

Megan Miller is the wife of Paul Miller, a seminary student studying missions. They have one son, Josiah, and attend Immanuel Baptist Church. Megan is also a part-tim nanny.