I do a lot of traveling. While I book most of my travel myself, on occasion, I have used a travel agent. I have a few friends who are travel agents, and their expertise can come in very handy. They know how to send me on a trip!
Some people are travel agents for guilt trips. They can masterfully make others walk in a state of guilt. “You should spend more time with me. You should keep your house neater. Your kids are the way they are because of you. It’s all your fault! You should help me out financially. Are you really going to eat that? You need to have more faith.”
Guilt trip agents are a sad bunch. But, even sadder is when we accept the ticket to take a guilt trip! Guilt trips agents are in your family, at your place of employment, and there are plenty in the Church.
Recently I read an exchange between some folks on social media. It was a conversation about faith. It wasn’t long until the conversation deteriorated into one stating that it was a lack of faith as to why the situation did not work out.
What a guilt trip! If you just have enough faith, all of life will work out like you want? Just believe God and you’ll get what you are praying for? I wish it was that simple.
Is faith necessary? Yes! Does faith please God? Yes! The Word tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. Should we walk around as doubt-filled, hopeless people? No! Doesn’t it also take faith to walk with God when life doesn’t work out with flowers and cheerful songs? That takes great faith.
I have learned to trust God when healing comes and when it doesn’t. I trust God when I have money in the bank and when I don’t. I trust God with my tears and my fears. (And I have had plenty of both the last few years.) Hebrews 11 tells us “By faith Enoch walked with God …”. You can find a short version of his life in Genesis 5. Enoch walked with God during a period of great darkness when few men walked with God. Yet, Enoch determined, by faith, to walk with God.
As believers, we must determine that by faith we will walk with God. Life won’t always make sense. Faith won’t always make sense. It’s not always an issue that if I have enough faith, things will work out like I envisioned. I have had to learn to walk with God no matter the season in which I find myself.
This is my testimony, “He walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own, and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.” Some of us need to fire our travel agents!