Bumper of Faith [CHOOSING JOY]

So our sweet baby went from sitting up on her own to crawling in a matter of days and is now all over the place.  I am not a huge baby-proofer, but I was concerned about our fireplace hearth.  It is about 10 inches high and 12 feet long, absolutely perfect for pulling up on and cruising along.  However, it is also made of scratchy, sharp brick.  One misplaced foot and we are sure to get an unhappy little face.  So, my husband and I ordered a big roll of bumpers and carefully stuck them in place.  Finally, we could relax in the family room knowing that baby was safe.  Wrong!  It took her literally 2 minutes to start picking the bumpers off.  Doesn’t she realize that we put them on to protect her?

God puts bumpers in our lives to protect us too.  Ephesians 6:16 says, “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”  (NIV) Our shield, our bumper, our protection from evil is faith!

Faith says, “I don’t need a pat on the back, being of service to others is my blessing.”

Faith says, “It’s okay if he let me down, God is going to provide for me.”

Faith says, “This situation is tough, but I praise God through it and I am thankful that He hears me.”

Faith says, “God, You are in control, so I can relax.”

It’s all about a faithful attitude.  Take a deep breath.  You can’t be overwhelmed if you are living behind the shield of faith.  Give a big smile.  You can’t be angry if you bouncing off the bumpers of faith.  Find the bright side.  You can’t feel down if your mind is protected by faith.

Don’t peel the bumper off your hearth.  It is there to make your life better.  Praise God!