Follow The Pattern

Think about a time when there were clear directions on how to get to a certain place but we somehow turned down the wrong road. Think about a time when a specific recipe wasn’t followed and the taste was just not as good as our grandmothers. When seamstresses are making clothing, the pattern has to be followed to be the correct fit. If we don’t follow the directions, the recipe or the pattern set for us in life, we can’t do the will of God.

2 Timothy 1:13 “Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus.”

When we go through the Bible and read all of the stories about men and women who served God and read about what God did in their lives we begin to see a pattern. We see men and women who have gone through struggles. We see men and women who are not perfect. We see men and women who continue to sin and suffer. However, the difference in these men and women is they continue to trust and turn to God.

We all have struggles and want to feel better. We want to have joy and get rid of the pain. Our examples of what to do are in the Bible. The pattern has been laid out for us. The directions have been set. The recipe has been created. For the things in our lives to be bearable, we have to have Jesus in our lives. When we put Jesus first and are obedient to God, we will be able to bear the things we have to deal with.

This doesn’t mean that our lives will be sin free and all suffering will be gone. Jesus continued to be tempted and rejected. He suffered but continued to trust God. He turned to God in all things. He believed that his suffering was what God needed to save His people. He followed the instructions of his Father and was obedient to the end.

God’s book is filled with stories of men and women who trusted and obeyed. The main character is God. The theme is to do as He asks us to do. The instructions are to learn from others who experienced the things we go through and turn to God as they did. The recipe is a mix of reading His word, praying and listening to Him. The directions are laid out in the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule, the definitions of love and the greatest laws He provides for us in His word. The patterns are the stories we read about His people.

The theme is so obvious. When we want to feel better, when we want to have joy, when we want to get rid of the pain, when we want to make a difference, the central theme is to give everything to God. We should give him all our problems. Spend time with him. Read his word. Seek his wisdom. We need to ask him to show us what to do with our lives. We need to have faith. God is and always will be the central and main character for us to live a fulfilling life and make a difference in the lives of others.

Hebrews 11:32-35 “How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. “