By Linda Hogue

Our final words, when we know they are such, are the most profound—the ones we want to be remembered by, the things we want our loved ones to always know and hold on to. No one ever reminds someone to brush their teeth or add something to the shopping list when they’re on their death bed. “Oh, by the way, we’re out of bread.” …Doesn’t happen.

There are a few chapters in Scripture devoted to Jesus’ last words to His disciples. Among them is a curious little passage about the possibility of them falling away, of not continuing their life of faith and devotion to God. Come on! They had just witnessed miracles, heard Jesus’ revolutionary teachings, seen the unlovable loved, the hopeless satisfied. Their world was rocked, and they were part of it.

Fall away? Never! Never. Never?

Here’s the thing: Jesus knew they had expectations of what God should do, of how the world should look now that Jesus had come and changed everything. And He knew of the confusion and disappointment that was about to ensue when their expectations would be unmet. And who could blame them? The Man who came to save the world would be killed and things would go back to how they once were, or worse.

I see this even today. “If I pray hard enough God will do what I think He should.” Or, “I will devote all my time/money/energy to charity and God will provide for my family.” On, really? Here’s how I see it: He put a lot in His book about wisdom. Yes, faith is involved, most definitely. But faith is reliance and trust in Him, not our methods. And if we trust Him, we trust in what He says. If He says we are to use wisdom, then let’s do it.

Back to the falling away part…. Too many of us have expectations of God that are simply unfounded. And so, it’s no wonder there is a disconnect between our belief and our reality. When we finally are willing to admit it, a decision must be made: we can continue in the frustration of unmet expectations, we can walk away from God altogether (wondering if there even is a God), or we can come to an understanding of who God really is and what living out our faith is really all about. But let’s stop pretending.

Oh, and don’t forget wisdom. Don’t ever forget wisdom.