God's best always flies past counterfeits that are merely good

I’m not exactly an expert birdwatcher, but I enjoy watching birds in my own yard. Lately, I think the tiny hummingbird has been giving me a lesson about life. Isn’t it funny how God uses the smallest things sometimes to teach us great big truths about trusting Him?

OK, here goes.

It seems I may be too easily drawn to things that are good, even if they are not exactly what I think they are. And when I settle for something that is only good, I may be missing something that’s even better.

Ever done this?

Consider the hummingbird. It’s fun to watch these fluttery, flittery little winged creatures flicking back and forth from flowers to feeders in my garden. They may look pretty plain at first glimpse. But when the sun catches them, their iridescent details glimmer. It’s beautiful to see.

Hummingbird, Creative Commons CCO photo

Once in a while, I start to admire such a visitor to my patio, only to find with more careful examination that I am not staring at a hummingbird at all. Yikes. It’s a hummingbird moth. And it’s not nearly the same thing, even if it may appear to be.

Hummingbird Hawk-Moth with Pink Coneflower photo by Yusef Akgul, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License

Take a look.

The hummingbird moth, part of the Hemaris genus, looks and moves and sounds much like a hummingbird. This little creature can hover over flowers and sip nectar, just as a hummingbird would do. And they move so fast that it can be nearly impossible to spot the difference.

Many people assume they’ve seen hummingbirds, but often they are mistaken. There’s a whole lot of difference between a hummingbird and a hummingbird moth, even if we cannot perceive it at first. I’m a big fan of little hummingbirds, but I’m not really all that fond of moths.

Hummingbird, public domain photo

I feel like there’s a spiritual lesson here.

Possibly, lots of us try to wing it, gliding through life without really paying attention. We might not even know what we are missing. Have you heard the old expression that says a person has to grow sick and tired of being sick and tired before he or she can be made well?

During His earthly ministry, Jesus asked a paralyzed man in Bethesda about this very issue.

“When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?’ (John 5:6, NIV)

Then the Lord told the man to stand up, and the guy was healed, after nearly 40 years of living with his crippling disability.

As a person living with multiple sclerosis (diagnosed a decade ago), I would be the last person to fault that man for staying put and putting up with a seemingly incurable condition for so very long. I am blessed and grateful to be capable of ongoing physical mobility. I fully understand that many who battle MS and other difficult medical disorders do not enjoy such results.

On the other hand, I believe many of us can be lured into growing satisfied with less-than-ideal conditions or choices, simply because we do not stand up in the faith to look for God’s best answers to our prayers.

Hummingbird Moth with Blue Flowers, public domain photo

Let’s go back to the hummingbird moth.

Are we easily entranced by a look-alike moth, or do we discern the difference and look to spot the actual hummingbird?

For many, the less-than-ideal draw is not about coming through a lifelong medical problem. Often, the sickness with which we struggle is sin itself. People can settle into the fleeting pleasures of sin for a season (see Hebrews 11:25), rather than holding to God’s principles for His greater plan for them. Or we might make hasty choices, instead of seeking His direction. And we may end up in a spot that’s not exactly God’s best for us.

Isn’t that sort of like choosing to focus on the lowly hummingbird moth, instead of waiting and watching for the lovely hummingbird?

We tend to be intrigued by cool things. We are drawn to attractive and appealing and mysterious and elusive things like moths to a … well, you know.

I have nothing against moths (unless they hover around my reading lamp at night), but I’d rather watch beautiful hummingbirds. How about you?

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Dark and difficult emotions don’t negate our faith.

Feelings can be fearsome and formidable things.

I wonder sometimes if we aren’t our own worst accusers, especially when it comes to embarking on guilt trips over our own emotions. Especially the darkest, most difficult ones.

When we feel down, we may wonder if we’re losing our joy in the Lord. When we’re furious, we tend to worry that we are harboring unforgiveness. When we are startled or afraid, we often browbeat ourselves, as if we are not trusting God enough. When we worry, we stress that we may be lacking in faith. When we grieve, we might think we are losing sight of God’s promise of eternity.

Um, no.

Faith is a choice. We decide to believe God, no matter what happens. We trust Him. That doesn’t mean we aren’t going to go through difficult emotions. Does feeling down or angry or sad or worried change the faith choice we have made?

Or are we simply going through pains of earth-bound humanness?

Here are a few examples. (The names are changed to protect confidentiality.)

I have a dear friend who struggles with clinical depression. Cherie is a remarkable woman of faith. I’ve seen her trust God through circumstantial crises that could rock anyone’s world. She also faithfully prays for others, when they walk through difficult times. However, when depression drags her down, she is genuinely burdened. How can anyone question her faith, as she soldiers through such seasons?

Jerry (a family friend) stepped into his driveway last week and found the tires on his truck had been slashed. You can bet he was angry, as he reported the crime to local police. He’s not racing off to avenge the evil personally, but he is still steamed over it. I’m thinking that’s a pretty solid case of this Scripture: “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” (Ephesians 4:26, KJV).

Doris fell off her horse a few months ago and broke her arm. He spooked when a rabbit ran onto the woodsy trail, where she was riding with a friend. Yesterday, she was riding him in the field behind the stables where she keeps him, and he scooted sideways suddenly. She yelped and grabbed the horn of her Western saddle to stay aboard. An hour after dismounting, she was still shaken up. Does that mean her faith is questionable? Of course not!

Karla just lost her job after more than a decade of dedicated responsibility. She showed up in the morning, only to discover the company was closing – effective immediately. Did I mention Karla is a single parent?

“I know God has a better plan,” she confessed. “But right now, I am scared to death.” Does anybody want to throw rocks at her faith? No way.

A friend from church lost her sister to a prolonged illness recently. Polly knows her sister loved the Lord. She is confident that her sister is in Heaven. But her grief is real. Who can deny that?

Sometimes our most difficult emotions feel like they are contrary to the truth on which our faith rests.

This life can be downright hard, and our souls are wired for eternity. So how does the believer reconcile biblical contrasts like “Rejoice always” (2 Thessalonians 5:16, NIV) and “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4, NIV)?

Doesn’t rejoicing seem diametrically opposed to mourning? Or is it?

The Bible instructs us to guard our hearts (see Proverbs 4:23) and to rein in wayward or destructive thoughts (see 2 Corinthians 10:5). So we are responsible for our hearts and our thoughts. What about our feelings?

Perhaps emotions are another matter.

In the Old Testament, we read that there are appropriate times for all sorts of emotions (see Ecclesiastes 3:4-6).

Jesus even experienced real-life human emotions. We know He wept (see John 11:35). He flipped tables over in the Temple (see Mark 11:15). And I am certain He laughed.

It seems to me that the God who created us with intense feelings, both pleasant and difficult, gave us the freedom to feel them. Maybe it’s more about holding onto truth, even through flat or fiery or flailing feelings. Because we live in the light of His blood-bought, grace-filled redemption, we know that guilt trips are not of His making.

OK, I get that we are not supposed to wallow. But difficult emotions do take some time to process.

I love the Lord. I love that He fills us with His hope and joy and peace. But there are times when I just stop and sigh and love that there is even a book of the Bible titled “Lamentations.” Because sometimes we simply feel like lamenting for a while. And that’s not a bad thing, if it draws us closer to God in the middle of our pain.

Rise during the night and cry out. Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord. (Lamentations 2:19, NLT)

We can feel (all sorts of feelings) without failing in faith or letting go of what we know to be true. And in time, we trust Him to restore us again and again.

Image:

Adapted from public domain image/s

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