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Carry on! ...

Friday, May 24, 2013. I have just been reading the letter of the apostle Paul to the Ephesians. He is happy about the faith he has seen in the Christians at Ephesus. He is praising God for this faith, and he is encouraging them to go on …

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Continue to go your way …

As Christians, we sometimes need encouragement to continue to go our way in faith. We need encouragement to continue our work, our duties, our responsibility. We need people to tell us that they appreciate our dedication, our work, our contributions. Encouragement needs words, which show acknowledgement.

We need encouragement in our faith, but also in all other parts of our life. Without encouragement you become tired. Nature shows us that we need a balance of work and rest, of day and night, of light and darkness. Also, in our projects, our profession, in our work for the church and for our country we need this balance - and we need encouragement and reflection about our daily work now and then.

Many of us are part of bigger systems, where we need continuous efforts to move the things forward. We need to carry on. We need communication. We need time to focus on particular work steps. And we need times where we step back and reflect where we are. We need time to criticize, in a positive environment. Without reflection and without investigation of what could be done better, more efficient, with less costs and effort, we will not reach real progress!

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Progress in Faith …

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Faith is very simple: just believe in me, says Jesus. But it is also complex, it is a life full of faith, it is steps of faith, words of faith, it is community of faith and struggle with faith. Faith needs progress in itself. Faith is living faith, and where ever you have life, you will have change and progress. Change is one sign of life.

So when we say “carry on in faith”, it does not mean that you should just keep a fixed status. It does not mean everything would be static. It means that things will be dynamic, that faith grows. It will mean sincere questions. It will mean to question faith, to question doctrine, to question opinion - and to learn deeper faith, deeper doctrine and well grounded opinion.

Jesus has promised to be with us. He has sent his Holy Spirit, to guide individual Christians and to guide the church. That happened since pentacost, and it is happening today. The church is travelling through the ages. You are a part of it, and he is there with his spirit, to be with you, to comfort you, and to guide you. Progress in faith …!

(Roland Potthast) ... more texts

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