Learning to Trust in the Face of Uncertainty

Pregnancy is amazing. I am really loving it! I think it really “agrees” with me, and for that I am grateful. I don’t know how I’d pull off working full time if this wasn't the case. God has been gracious.

I feel like there is a lot of negative hype around pregnancy though, and while it’s not always sunshine and roses (sometimes it’s snow and ice!), pregnancy offers a woman the chance to learn a lot in just 9 months – and no, I am not talking about cloth diapers and sleeping training. I am talking about trust.

One thing this pregnancy has offered me that I wasn't really expecting is the opportunity to learn to trust more deeply in God. I mean, let’s face it; we really can’t control a whole lot about our pregnancies. We can’t control how our bodies will handle it or how healthy our babies will be. In fact, next to picking a baby name and nursery colours, there isn't a lot left in our hands. And I have found this to be a very good thing; a very scary thing, but very good. Necessary, even.

While this pregnancy has been a relatively easy one (praise God – I pray it continues), it doesn't mean it hasn't come with its fair share of tough times.

Probably the toughest time was last week when we went down to Toronto to have Roman’s echo cardiogram done. While there was a very low chance that anything would be wrong, it was still pretty intimidating.

Side note: my husband, Justin, was born with two holes in his heart – also known as Congenital Heart Disease (CHD). This problem is not genetic – in other words, not hereditary. In fact, no matter who you are, your baby has a 1 – 3 % chance of having a CHD. Our chance of having Roman born with CHD is about the same as anyone else, but to give us peace of mind, my midwife allowed us to go to Toronto for this special ultrasound – just to be 100% all was well.

If you follow me on Facebook you've heard the news: Roman’s heart is perfectly fine (thank you Lord!) and the rest of his body is developing just as well (thank you Lord, again!). But I won’t lie, I have never been more terrified then when I was laying on the table, the doctor examining my 20-week-old baby’s heart.

About 15 min went by and the doctor hadn't said a word to us. It wasn't a great experience, but the cool thing is, while I was lying there waiting for the “verdict”, I was at peace. Sure, my heart was beating a mile a minute, but I was at peace. This is SO rare for me because, by nature, I am a worrier. But after much time, consideration and prayer, I found myself in a place where I’d never been before… a place of calm in the eye of the storm.

I will tell you this, the peace that I had was NOT by my own doing. My human nature wanted to think of all the horrible “worst-case-scenarios”, but the Holy Spirit that lives inside me reminded me that whatever the outcome, it had already passed through the hands of God – for His glory and for my… our… Roman’s… good. And that gave me the peace that the Bible says “surpasses all understanding”.

I can’t control this pregnancy and (news flash for me) I can’t control the rest of my life either. I used to think I could control it all, but I realize now that the pursuit on control shows a lack of trust in God. This doesn't mean that I'm hands off on things completely – I still am called to plan and work towards things accordingly – but it means that when situations are uncertain, I go to God with them. I don’t let it fester inside me until I become a worrying, untrusting mess (which I have been so many times in the past). 

I am quickly learning that there is no harder thing than to trust God with your children, and although my little bun is still baking away in the oven, it’s crucial I learn to trust God with him now before he is born. By doing so, I will be a better, more godly mother to Roman. I’ll be able rest easy knowing my son’s precious life is in the Lord’s hands, and I can only hope that Roman learns at a young age to trust in God in the same manner.I want my son to know full well the sovereignty of God so he can grasp the amount of trust he can put in his Heavenly Father. I believe this will strengthen his faith, even in the face of uncertainty and trials. 

Grace and Peace, 

Alannah

Romans 6: Victory Over Sin Through Sanctification

My mentee and I agree that Romans 6 has been one of our favourites so far. There is just something about the way Paul describes our victory over sin that is just amazing! Anyway, friends, enjoy! 

Main Ideas:

We are no longer under the law, but under grace
We are no longer slaves to sin, but to righteousness
We are dead to sin, but alive in Christ
Sanctification leads to eternal life

Summary:

Up until this point, Paul has dealt primarily with the issue of justification. He has talked extensively about how man can be justified (made right with) God because of the blood of Jesus Christ. In this chapter, however, we see Paul begin to transition to the issue of sanctification. Sanctification is essentially the act of becoming holy or more like Christ, or as we like to call it, changing from one degree of glory to the next. Another critical aspect of sanctification is the ability to resist sin. Sin is not suddenly acceptable because we are under grace; in fact, it’s still utterly detestable and sickening to God (and so should be to us too!) So nothing has changed in that regard. We still need to follow the law, but it’s the grace of God that allows us to pursue sanctification. We couldn’t do it alone. It’s important to note that sanctification is not instantaneous. It’s a process that every believer will undergo through out their walk. 

In verse 3-4 Paul talks about how Christians have been baptized with Christ in His death and have been buried in order that we too may rise again and “walk in newness of life”. The term “newness of life” refers to a believer dying to his or her old self (the self that sought the desires of the flesh) and changing into the image and likeness of Jesus. In short, we are dead in sin and alive in God (verse 11) and there is no place for sin among God’s chosen. Possibly the most reassuring verse here is the verse 14, which reads: “sin has no dominion over you, since you are not under the law but under grace!” This means that we are no longer slaves to sin as we were in our previous state. Instead, we are now slaves to righteousness, and this righteousness will helps us in the journey of sanctification, and as we read in verse 22, sanctification leads to eternal life! 

Most Christians in today’s society have this all wrong. They think that they can continue on in a cycle of sin-forgivness-sin-forgivness and that God will just oblige. But this is not the case. God demands that His chosen live a life of sanctification. Sure, we will fall time and time again, but our default should be to run from sin and deny themselves for the sake of the cross. For as the final verse in Romans 6 says “the wages of sin is death!”

Discussion Questions: 

Do you understand the term sanctification? 

What has your journey of sanctification been over the past few months? How are you growing from one degree of glory to the next? What are some areas that need improvement? 

Living Word:

2 Timothy 2:21

2 Corinthians 5:17

Hebrews 13:12

John 17:17