L’autre jour, une de mes amies est venue à moi se confier par rapport à une situation qu’’elle vivait. Puis, elle a ajouté : “Comment après ça je suis sensée garder la foi?”  And I did something I absolutely hate for people to do to me, I said: “Keep faith.” That’s it. C’est tout. Pas d’encouragement, pas de phrase d’amour. Juste une phrase toute faite et accessible à tous de dire qui se résume, en plus, à deux mots.

En toute sincérité, je ne savais vraiment pas quoi lui dire d’autre, mais en même temps, je sentais dans mon cœur que c’étaient les seules paroles appropriées.

And I started thinking about all the situations and persecutions we go through as humans. À ce qui aux yeux des hommes, les autres autour de nous, mais aussi soi-même, est perçu comme un échec, mais qui aux yeux de Dieu est perçu comme un avancement dans ta destinée.

How am I supposed to believe when I didn’t get the job? How am I supposed to believe when I failed the class? How am I supposed to believe when I get passed over for the promotion while everyone knew that I deserved it more than that person? I worked my ass days and nights and still failed. How am I supposed to believe when I’m still battling with depression and anxiety? How am I supposed to believe when I still didn’t get the things You said was mine? I prayed about that friendship to be sure it was from You and still got hurt, so how am I supposed to believe, God?!

God just said “Trust!”

And He kept bringing to my attention the same verses. I don’t know who this is for, but God wants His children to remember those words.

For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Stop looking at your situations to define the level of your faith. The devil will trick you into focusing on your problems rather than God. Focusing on your doubts rather than God. Focusing on money rather than God. Focusing on all relationships rather than the one with God. But when you put your focus on Him and look at things through His eyes, yes, you see your problems, your situations, your hurt, your fears, and doubts, but they are all in His hands.

Il a dit qu’Il a pour nous des projets de paix et non de malheur. Et ces paroles ne sont pas de simples paroles, mais une promesse envers nous. Et je sais que le Dieu que je sers est un Dieu bon et fidèle qui exauce chacune de ses promesses. Dieu te dit qu’Il a ta situation en main. Parce que les projets de paix qu’Il a pour toi sont afin de te donner un avenir et de l’espérance. Il a déjà aplani tes sentiers.

Not only He’s handling your situation today, but He also already managed the one of tomorrow. You don’t need to worry about tomorrow because it already been taken care of, and He is preparing you for it today.

You see failure, He says “It’s a setback for a major comeback.” You’re seeing a job you hate; God is saying “You’re gonna be the manager.” You’re seeing that you’re failing classes; God is saying “This isn’t the field I had for you, booboo.” You’re seeing that you can barely keep friends and that you’re the black sheep of your family; God is saying: I’m breaking curses here! You are not your mom, you are not your dad. You will not be like your cousins. You will not have to settle like the rest of this family. Les mots “par défaut” ne feront pas partie de ton témoignage!

God is saying “be sad, but TRUST.” Be mad, but TRUST. Cut your hair, break your computer, even punch in a wall if you want, but have faith in Him…

Dans 2 Timothée 4:7, Paul dit: “J’ai combattu le bon combat, j’ai achevé la course, j’ai gardé la foi.” Je sais que Dieu a révélé à plusieurs Chrétiens, autant à de jeunes Chrétiens que de grands leaders, que cette année est l’année du combat et du revival. Même si vous n’avez pas reçu cette parole dans votre intimité avec Christ, je crois que le fait d’en recevoir le message est aussi une invitation à faire partie du réveil. (Jean 6:44)

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Fight against everything life throws at you. The enemy will try to distract you and mostly discourage you. But keep faith and stand firm. We may not have finished the race, but we’re fighting from victory. Victory is already ours. So, rejoice in the tribulations, in the temptation, in the persecutions because you already won.

Et finalement, Paul a dit: “j’ai gardé la foi.”

“Keep faith” was really all I could find to say. It might only be two words, but I do believe that it is the best advice I could ever give someone, and it’s the one I gave.

How to do it? I don’t know! But just have faith in keeping faith.

Go be blessed

HLL