Faith or Certainty?

I hate being wrong! Yet, I’ve noticed a recurring pattern to a lot of my mistakes. They seem to happen the most when I am certain that I have it all figured out and that I don’t need to listen to the advice or coaching that someone is trying to give me.

Peter was certain about who Jesus was. He was the Messiah! Yet, this certainty would not let him hear what Jesus was saying to him about suffering, being killed and rising again. Though this kind of certainty can give us a lot of passion and energy to get things done, it can also cause us to do things that work against God’s desires, that is, satanic.

Perhaps what is called for is a humble boldness in our faith. The boldness comes from our lived relationship with Jesus and engagement with his word. The humility comes from a constant awareness that we will never know all of the mysteries of God and the way that God works in the world.

God of mystery, help us to trust you and be open to your word. Amen. — PCH