The Struggle of Faith

Have you ever found yourself growing impatient with God's timing? Perhaps you've been waiting for an answer to prayer, a breakthrough in your life, or the fulfillment of a promise. In these moments of waiting, it's all too easy to take matters into our own hands, attempting to "help" God along or find loopholes in His plan. This struggle between faith and flesh is as old as time itself, and we see it beautifully illustrated in the story of Abram, Sarai, and Hagar in Genesis 16.

Imagine being promised something incredible by God Himself, only to wait year after year with no sign of fulfillment. This was Abram and Sarai's reality. God had promised Abram offspring, but after ten long years in Canaan, Sarai remained barren. The hope deferred was making their hearts sick, as Proverbs 13:12 so aptly puts it: "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life."

In this place of pain and impatience, Sarai devised a plan. She suggested that Abram take her servant, Hagar, as a wife to bear a child on her behalf. It seemed logical, even culturally acceptable. But was it God's plan?

How often do we, like Sarai, try to "help" God fulfill His promises through our own understanding and effort? We see a problem, devise a solution, and act – all without truly seeking God's will or timing. This is the essence of trying to perfect in the flesh what God began in the Spirit, a danger Paul warns about in Galatians 3:3: "Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?"

The consequences of such actions are rarely what we expect. In Abram and Sarai's case, their plan "worked" – Hagar conceived. But instead of joy, it brought contempt, jealousy, and strife into their household. Sarai, the architect of the plan, found herself resenting both Hagar and Abram. She had tried to solve her pain but only created more.

When we try to perfect God's plans through our own efforts, we often find ourselves falling back into a form of bondage. Paul speaks to this in Romans 8:15, reminding us that we "did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons." Yet how easily we can slip back into the familiar chains of our own making, fearing to truly live in the freedom God offers.

This bondage often manifests as unforgiveness, bitterness, or a stubborn clinging to our own ways. We become comfortable in our pain, identifying with it, rather than embracing the freedom and healing God offers. Like Sarai, we might lash out at others, blaming them for the consequences of our own choices.

The beauty of this story, and indeed of our own lives, is that God doesn't abandon us in our messy attempts to control our destinies. He meets us there. Just as the angel of the Lord found Hagar in the wilderness, God seeks us out in our lowest moments. He sees us, knows us, and offers direction – even when that direction might not be what we expect.

God told Hagar to return to Sarai, not to submit to abuse, but to return to her rightful place in God's plan. Sometimes, God asks us to face difficult situations, knowing that His blessing and protection are with us. As Psalm 121:7 assures us, "The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life."

So how do we avoid creating "Ishmaels" in our lives – those things born of our impatience and flesh rather than God's perfect timing? The key lies in reversing what Paul cautions against in Galatians 3:3. Instead of trying to perfect in the flesh what God began in the Spirit, we must continually return to the Spirit, surrendering our plans, timelines, and desires to God.

This doesn't mean we'll never struggle or make mistakes. Even great men and women of faith, like Abram and Sarai, had their moments of doubt and missteps. But it does mean that we can always turn back to God, trusting that He can redeem even our biggest messes.

As we reflect on these truths, it's fitting to approach the Lord's table with humility and self-examination. Paul warns in 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 about partaking in an unworthy manner, urging us to examine ourselves before we eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

This examination isn't about achieving perfection before we can approach God. Rather, it's an opportunity to honestly assess our hearts, confess our attempts to control our lives apart from God, and recommit ourselves to living by the Spirit.

Are there areas in your life where you've been trying to "help" God along? Perhaps you've created an Ishmael – a solution born of your own understanding rather than patient trust in God's timing. Today is an invitation to return to the Lord, to surrender those areas back to Him, and to trust in His perfect plan and timing.

Remember, God sees you in your struggle. He understands your pain and impatience. And He is faithful to complete the good work He has begun in you (Philippians 1:6). As you wait on His promises, choose to live by the Spirit, trusting that God's plans for you are far greater than anything you could orchestrate on your own.

In the waiting, in the struggling, and even in our missteps, God is working. He is shaping us, teaching us to trust, and preparing us for the fulfillment of His promises. May we have the courage to release our own plans and embrace the adventure of walking by faith, not by sight.