Faith in God’s Character
Whatsoever Series:
One of the realities of a college family’s experience is not being physically near your student (child, sibling, grandchild) and seeing first-hand how they are doing. Parent and Family Connections answers a variety of questions about the college experience, but mostly the regular theme in our reply is uplifting a family member’s faith in God’s plan, in His truth, no matter what cannot be seen as whatsoever you do.
John 8:31-32 boosts our faith when “Jesus says to the people that believe in him, You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (emphasis is mine).’”
One of the teachings that Scripture gives us is listed in Galatians 5. Galatians 5:22-23 teaches love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The Fruit of the Spirit is the edifying and equipping work of the Holy Spirit; it is the character of God. In that teaching, students at Liberty are being grown and pruned, with or without you, because it is the Lord’s will for a believer’s character. Not by your will, little “y,” but by Your will (the Lord’s) as it is in heaven (as in, Matthew 6:10 and following).
Let us be free, free from worry and anxiety. Set yourself free from holding on to the illusion of control so tight that your faith feels like it is in knots, like fists. How? Lean onto God’s teaching and His will. Pray for the Fruit of the Spirit in you and in your student.
Pray for the kind of love that wants the best for others. Pray for the kind of joy that reflects in all circumstances. Pray for peace that is level-headed in all kinds of situations. Pray for forbearance as actions that do not respond in impatience toward another person. Pray for kindness to have a sweet disposition that puts others at ease. Pray for goodness, the kind that is both forthright and honoring to do good even when it is undeserved. Pray for the kind of faithfulness that is lived and walked daily. Pray for gentleness that is fair and objective. Pray for self-control to master one’s natural tendencies so that spiritual life in Christ is fostered, not hindered.
Cultivate your faith as a family by remembering God’s truth and the teachings that you can see in His word. As you pray Galatians 5:22-23, may it become what you see and what you say, so when your student calls you amid their exhaustion, worry, or distress, you will be a praying warrior that is equipped with God’s teaching about the work He does in them and through them.
The true expression of Christian character is not in good-doing, but God-likeness. If the Spirit of God has transformed you within, you will exhibit divine characteristics in your life, not just good human characteristics. God’s life in us expresses itself as God’s life, not as human life trying to be godly (Oswald Chambers, 2011, “My Utmost for His Highest,” p. 538; emphasis is mine).
Meet the Author
Tamatha Anthony
Assistant Director
