Wait for It

Poinsettia growing against a wall near Ensenada, Mexico

"...but they who put their hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint."

Isaiah 40:31

Yesterday I was reading a book about how to think theologically (ironically, it is titled, "How to Think Theologically"). It's about the nitty gritty of how a person's theology impacts decisions in real life.

We all do think theologically. We act upon our theological beliefs all the time. Mostly, we draw upon our "embedded" theology, the stuff we acquired growing up from the culture around us. If we are really interested in theology, at some point we pull out those embedded ideas and examine them. Then we may decide to develop and refine our theology to give it a foundation and substance. That's what I am doing in seminary right now.

Anyway, the question was: how does my theology work for me in a crisis? What about when I meet up with the unexpected, the sad or the frightening events of life?

The answer was illustrated by the story of a woman who came to stay with her mother in her last illness. She was overwhelmed at first and thought she could not face these last days with her mom. Then she told herself to wait a moment and let it all sink in.

She took in the scene in the hospital room, she allowed her feelings to fill her heart and she took full measure of the condition her mother was in. Then she considered what would be the right thing to do. What actions would match her actual theology of family?

In the moments of waiting she remembered who her mother really was to her and what her faith dictated in terms of caring for her. In her heart she had stored up biblical principles to guide her in the situation. With those principles in mind, she moved past all of her fears and sorrows and she spent the next few days ministering to her mother's needs, delighting in her and loving her until she passed into eternity.

That is theology in action, encountering a challenge and having your true beliefs rise to the surface to guide your actions. It's also the way that you find out whether you have a solid theology to rely upon. Theology can either be acquired haphazardly or systematically, but I think it is best to be proactive and build your theology. I could go into all the ways there are to do that, but my previous blog talks about one of the best ways. Meet God everyday and discuss life with Him.

Then wait for the testing that is sure to come. When it arrives, wait again until that theology you have built takes over and gives you the way to go forward.