June 2013
Go Girls!
A Colorful Flag of Faith “But you have raised a banner for those who fear you—a rallying point in the face of attack.”
A ministry of: FUMC Berkeley Springs 49 South Green St. Berkeley Springs, WV 25411 304.258.2766 | gofirst.org Pastor Andrew Cooney
—Psalm 60:4 Colorful flags were first used, not to symbolize a country or a cause, but to identify the position of the commander in the midst of a battle. From a distance, soldiers had no other way of knowing the position of their leader, so the colors had to be bold, the design unmistakable. They followed the flag in the chaos of the fight; and if the flag were to ever fall, they knew the battle was lost. There are times in life when we feel we are amid the chaos of a battle. Tests, challenges, and pressures can come at us from all sides. Surrender and retreat may feel imminent. Like soldiers, we need a flag to follow—a symbol of the presence of our divine leader unfurled and raised high above our battlefield. It’s the one flag that gives us courage. The one flag that inspires hope. The one flag that never falls. The one flag that beckons us to fight for our healing, our deliverance, our victory in Christ. This flag of God is firmly planted in our lives where we can see it. Emblazoned with the cross of Christ and displaying every color of God’s beauty and majesty, this banner of love leads us forward through the battles of life. As we keep our eyes fixed and follow our leader, the colors of our own faith are developed. Our own colorful flag of faith is created, which we then display to the world. Perhaps some yellow for new-found joy, purple for accepting our worthiness through Jesus, or red for offering forgiveness. Our faith colors are the same bright and bold colors of God, our commander, and can also beckon others to join us in following him. Take a moment today and think about it…what are the colors of your flag of faith?
THE WORD “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” —James 1:2-4 (The Message)
Think About It What are the colors of your faith? Blue = ____________________ Red = ____________________ Yellow = __________________ Green = __________________