PAUSE Painting

While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling our present activities "unwise and untimely." Seldom, if ever, do I PAUSE to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If I sought to answer all of the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would be engaged in little else in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work. But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I would like to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms. Yours for the cause of Peace and Brotherhood, MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. When your life is stuck on pause: Believe the God of Grace Midst the Doubts (Gen. 15:1-21) When our lives are stuck on pause, one of the biggest hurdles we often find ourselves stumbling over is doubt. One moment we believe God for the impossible. The next moment we doubt God and fear the worst. We are a walking contradiction; a breathing paradox. We believe and doubt God’s promises, His provision and His person. What do we do when the reality gap overwhelms us? A lot of questions start to bombard us in a season of “stuckness.” Can I truly keep going like this as my life is on pause? How long? Will I have the strength to persevere if things don’t go as planned? Would I be able to handle loss in my future? Can I live with sickness if that comes? We’re afraid of losing relationships. We’re afraid of losing possessions. We’re afraid of losing our position. We fear emotional pain. We fear personal pain. We fear financial pain. So we doubt. But sometimes it is not that we don’t trust God, we are not sure if we can be faithful and we wonder if God should truly trust us with so much. We don’t trust ourselves. We are afraid we are going to mess it up. This is where Abraham is right now. He is called the Father of faith, but that does not mean he never doubted. Today we are going to see that he is full of doubts, but right in the midst of it, he also believes. In fact, one of the most quoted Scriptures about Abraham’s amazing faith is found right here in this chapter full of his doubts (Gen. 15:6). How is that possible? Can you be doubting and believing at the same time? ... Dr. Os Guinness