Reality

When wondering how things will be any better or clearer, aiming to see reality clearly may be helpful because sin (especially pride) often hides reality. For example, in the Garden of Eden, sin was believing a lie about God—that instead of his command being there to protect humans, the lie was that he was hiding something wonderful from them.

Often the reality is we often have very little control over the state of success and relationships. Relationships don't depend entirely on us. If we have a good relationship, we allow the other person in the friendship to do as they please. And companies and the results of our work sometimes largely depends on a whole team of people and even on customers, who are people we may never meet or know.

But acknowledging this reality helps us to realize the all-importance of faith in life. We need to rely again on faith. Faith that God is good. That no matter what happens in the company or job or in a relationship, he will be there. And the end of our story as a Christian is the most beautiful story. And even while we're here, the ability to glorify him is ever present.

It's easy to believe that everything depends on us and become overwhelmed or discouraged due to that because we're starting to feel too tired or doubt our ability to accomplish what we have in mind. We may wonder what we can do, but the question should be more "What is God doing?" and the answer is that he is doing everything for our good, and he will protect his children.

What God asks of us is to have faith. And the situation in our life is the situation in our life because he allowed it. Pride either tells us that we don't need God and we can fix it all on our own, or pride may tell us that we are not good enough or God doesn't see us because we are too small or insignificant (pride is displayed in pitying oneself, because pride is an intense focus on one's self).

The hardest part of all of this is to be humble enough to know that all humans don't see reality correctly. We are imaginative people inclined to be a bit too prideful (unrealistic of our abilities and sometimes not even self aware of weaknesses). Our sinful nature hates to think we have not much control over things. We definitely should do all we can and have responsibility but we need to let go of what is not ours to control.

Realizing our limitations is helpful because it takes the focus off the person who has the limitations (us) and puts it on the person who has absolutely no limitations (God) for how things will be better.

We also need to have a good knowledge of God. God is not like Santa Clause, where he only steps in when we are good. He is a God of forgiveness and hope. So that's why we can have faith. We don't have to rely on our works or abilities. We rely on him. It's our love and appreciation for him that helps motivate us to do good works.

Prayer and Action

Prayer must motivate action in the prayer. Obviously we often pray for things outside our control. We are people with limited resources and abilities.

At times though we pray about problems which we can and are able to be a part of the solution. The test of the faithfulness of prayer is if we have been praying and God offers us a chance to take part in the solution for which we are praying-do we grasp it?

You see at many times in the Christian life it becomes very easy to move through the motions. Prayer can easily become a habit with no meaning or sincerity behind it.

When we pray about things that intersect with our life in even a small way we should look to see if we may be part of the solution for what we are praying for. You see maybe the issue was too big for us yesterday, or we had no idea how to proceed, but today God has opened the door for us to solve the problem.

You see it is not mankind that solves problems ultimately but God. If we pray but do not consider how we may be part of the solutions to the problems in our prayers then we have not really prayed with any sincerity.

Too often prayer in the world today is an excuse for inaction. If I spend a few minutes praying then I have cared for the issue. You see the error is that true prayer is based on love and desires the result prayed for and will always consider that if it is possible for us to solve the problem we will.

It is often not in our power but if we pray in truth we must be open to solve the problems if God opens doors for us.

Love Is Active

Love is active. If we have love we will seek action. You see many people who claim to have love but have no evidence of ever seeking action.

Maybe they act in private and their works are before God. We cannot know. But the truth is that if we really love we will wish to act.

If we say we love and do not wish to act or always have an excuse to not act then we do not love. Love always wishes to act.

Often love does not have a solution or an ability to act. There are too many problems and we have too few solutions, time and abilities.

But love always acts at one point or another. If love sees a hundred problems maybe love finds a way to act on a handful of them according to ability and time.

But you see a "love" that never acts on any problems is likely not a real love. It is just a facade that excuses itself always with this or that excuse.

True love always acts on a few of the problems it sees in the world. It cannot act on everything, but true love picks a few things to act upon.