Faith On The Line - Stress, Stress Go Away Vol 18 | Page 10

by Dan Gabbert

What is it that traps us in the boxes of discouragement, unrest, and unproductivity in our
Christian experience?
What is it that seals us into a coffin of a cherished idea that we’ll cling to for dear life, knowing
that it’s a teaching of man rather than a commandment of the lovely Jesus?
What is it that crushes
us into the egg carton of
an unforgiving spirit and
bitterness that may last for
years and years?
What is it that suffocates
us in a vacuum bag of a cherished idol that we’ll
hang on to, even when we realize it could cause
another brother, sister, or even a babe in Christ to
stumble and fall?

The Good Battle
to Believe
I

ncredible as it sounds, Alexander Whortley
lived in a mini-trailer three feet wide, four feet
long, and five feet high until he died at the age
of 80. It was made of wood, had a metal roof, and it
housed him and all his meager belongings.
No matter where he worked, Whortley chose to
spend his life in that cramped space, even when larger
quarters were available.
Now, it’s not very likely that any of us have chosen
to live in a box—certainly not when more spacious
housing is available. But could it be that we are allowing ourselves to be squeezed into cramped containers
of a different sort—containers that hinder our joy and
personal growth in Christlikeness?
What is it that hems us into a sewing bag of
worry over what family or friends will say or do if we
follow what God asks of us?

Trapping ourselves in Unbelief
What is it that keeps us trapped in these
unhealthy containers? I believe the predominating
answer to all these questions—and perhaps many
other entrapping spiritual dilemmas that may be
rattling around in our minds—lies in one 8-letter
word: unbelief.
In my opinion, unbelief is one of the greatest
snares to a healthy walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Since the beginning of earth’s history, one of Satan’s
most effective methods of destroying humanity has
been enticing people to stagger in unbelief at what
God says!
That’s what he did to Eve when he countered her
statement about dying with “Ye shall not surely die”
(Genesis 3:2-4).
What caused God’s chosen people Israel to
fall and fail to receive God’s rest-filled blessings?
Unbelief in what God said about the situations they
faced (see Hebrews 3:18-19; 4:2). Can you relate?
And according to 1 Corinthians
10:11, what ancient Israel
experienced is
for our admonition.
Where does unbelief
ultimately lead a person? We
find the answer in Hebrews
3:12: “Take heed, brethren, lest
there be in any of you an evil
heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”
This is why unbelief is such an incredible curse to
the healthy Christian experience: it will inevitably

Where does
unbelief
ultimat [HXY