Monday, June 11, 2012

Exposing the Iceberg


Women of Faith:
“I believe in God.”” God loves me.” “I was saved on …..” “I have been saved because I took Christ as my savior.”

Have you said those words? How much do you know about what they mean to you and to others?
Have we become like the captains of the Titanic in our faith? Do we think we know what is ahead of us simply because we believe in a few words? Could it be that we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg? Are we going to be shipwrecked because we didn’t take the time to seek and expose what lies below?

Stan and I have always believed in the saying, “you never stop learning until the day you die.” And we have pushed ourselves to continually learn in every aspect of our lives. We understand that without continuous learning we would soon live only to exist. Unfortunately that is what many Christians do in their faith journey—they merely believe that God exists in their life, and that belief is all they need to know about Him.

Several years ago we went to a NACFLM (National Assoc. of Catholic Family Life Ministers) conference. Instinctively we knew that there was something under the “tip of God’s iceberg” that we hadn’t yet been exposed to as we shared our marriage in coaching couples who were struggling in their own marriages.
While our faith heard God’s call to give hope to our friends, we were blessed with the wisdom to know that our practical knowledge of marriage and faith was hiding something much richer, and much deeper, than the surface cliché’s of cultural marriage—we knew we were only seeing the “tip of the iceberg.”

We could easily have become just like the captains of the Titanic—shipwrecked by not knowing what lay below the surface, shipwrecked because we did not choose to “expose the iceberg!”
The conference was an opportunity for us to have God’s design for marriage revealed to us through Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body and in couples like Greg and Julie Alexander, who’s own “crash” into the iceberg had given them an opportunity with God to delve below the surface. (www.thealexanderhouse.org)

We continue to expose God’s plan for marriage—in a very practical sense begun in those first verses of Genesis 1: 26-27 and Gen 2: 18-24, continued through every book of the Bible (Eph 4,5, & 6 is a concise summary) and ending in our marriage to God in Revelations.  What we knew before and what we continue to learn each day is that our knowledge of all of God is only the tip of His heavenly “iceberg.”
THE key to a much deeper, much richer plan for our faith journey is continual learning and continual Eucharistic presence with God—because through our study and exposure to His Eucharist we continue to have God’s design and call in our lives revealed to us.

We often recall the story of Peter when he attempted to walk on water: when his faith waivered, he began to sink. (Mt 14: 22-33)
I am no different. Unless I constantly look below the surface of my faith and trust in His presence in my life – I will sink—regardless of where I think I am at personally. It is up to God to give me the grace I need on my journey. I have to ask so He can give; and it is not something I deserve, it is a gift I receive.

And there is always MORE below the surface to learn and I am always in need of His food in the Eucharist for strength on the journey.
And just like those who sank with the Titanic, many so called Christians of today’s world will sink because they choose to “believe” in God only on the surface: fearful of change or content to see only the “tip of the iceberg.” We all want “easy” rather than what God tells us will be persecution because we choose to expose, and to live, and to profess His truth.

"Lord, will only a few people be saved?" He answered them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough…." Lk 13:22-30
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few." Mt 7: 1-14

It is easier to take the wide path than it is to take the narrow. It is up to us to “expose” God’s truth, but culturally it can be easier to “believe” or ignore, than it is to “expose” the truth.
It is easier to say “I have been saved” than it is to act as if I believe (Jm 2:26 faith without works is dead.”)

It is easier to say a private prayer than it is to regularly attend church and spend time with God.
It is easier to center our priorities on cultural entertainment (music and sports) or in trying to make ourselves happy through societies definition of “success and happiness” (money and stuff) than it is to give up our time and money for another’s well being.

We can choose to change course and act on what is exposed to us by complete submission and trust in him, or we can choose to be shipwrecked by what is below the tip of the iceberg. God gives us that choice!
Heavenly Father, Your Truth is infinite. Help me to expose You and Your truth in my life. Strengthen me with Your grace and the courage to act on Your will. May I always be ready to dig below the surface of human truth. And may my exposure to Your truth, help me to evangelize and speak Your will to others, without fear of the consequences of this world. I only look forward to seeing You revealed in heaven. Amen.

Have I done everything possible to expose the truth of God’s call in my own life? Do I live my life according to God, and do I expose what is revealed to me, by God, to others? Will I be able to stay afloat on God’s heavenly water? Or will I sink, and allow others to sink with me, because I didn’t seek and expose God’s treasures that lie below the surface?

Blessings,
Charlotte

No comments:

Post a Comment