I find myself in a curious place with regard to ‘faith’ these
days after the death of my wife. Some days I feel confident in my beliefs,
assured of God’s care and love, hopeful in eternal life. Then moments come when
it is as if the very ground I stand on is shifting. I wonder where God is, if
He really cares for me at all. “Ah, Jerry,” you are saying, “you are looking in
the wrong place for faith. You cannot trust your feelings and emotions.” So right you are! Faith is a complex mix of Truth, Observation,
Conviction, and Feeling.
A Christian may have deep faith and still experience
moments of mystery, even doubt! Simon Peter certainly had faith in Jesus, believing
in Him enough to leave his livelihood to follow Jesus. Yet, in a couple of
crises we see the “Rock” stumble. He got out of the boat on the Sea of Galilee
and walked on water only to take his eyes from Jesus and sink into the
waves. He boldly proclaimed Jesus as the
Son of God, the Messiah, only to deny Him under pressure.
Faith is not an 'all or nothing' kind of thing. We can be a person of deep and authentic
faith and still struggle with temptation, fear, or doubt. Our faith is being perfected and
therefore we all have gaps in it of which we are largely unaware. For example -
a person may have a deep and authentic faith about God's provision for her
financial needs which makes her generous, consistent in tithing, and worry free
about her stuff and yet be an anxious wreck in raising her kids, unable to
commit them to the care of the Lord. Or,
a person may have a rock solid conviction about the promise of Heaven and yet
have difficulty grasping the assurance of his own salvation. That said, a mature Christianity will bring
about a beautiful wholeness of faith if we choose to be faith-builders! Faith
does not grow on us like moss on a rock. It must be cultivated, tested,
stretched, and practiced.
How does a Christian gain faith that is beautiful and
whole?
First, we ask for it!
Faith is a gift of God.
The Holy Spirit works in us to draw us to God, to cause us to desire Him
and to live in a way that pleases Him.
We can pray, indeed we ought to pray, for other's to know this work of
grace in their lives. Jesus taught His disciples about living a holy life and
their response was a simple, yet important, prayer - "The
apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5, NIV) A man who
was in desperate need came to Jesus seeking healing for his tormented son. He realized that the most basic need he had
was for greater faith and his prayer was direct - "I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9.24)
We must not pretend to own a greater faith than we do. Such hypocrisy blocks us from asking for the
very thing we need most in time of need - the gift of faith.
Second, we inform our minds with godly
truth!
The fertile soil of a strong, life changing faith, is the
Scripture. In the pages of the Bible,
God is revealed to us. When our minds are shaped around God, when we understand
the world with a spiritual view, faith grows.
The Psalmist said, "I have
hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."
(Psalm 119:11, NLT) What does he
mean? That he had taken time to
integrate the truth of God's Word into his thought life so that his actions
would be consistent with faith.
Third, we invite the Spirit to school us, to
develop faith.
James invites us to the gymnasium of faith where we work
on those spiritual muscles! "When
your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for
when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete,
needing nothing." (James 1:3-4, NLT) The Message says this way - "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 1:3-4, The Message) When
people fail you, when your dear wife dies, when the future looks dark, when to
all appearances there is no way to turn for relief- you are in the school of faith! Step over your turbulent emotions and
surrender control. Weep, pray, rage – but remember to find a place of quiet –
your soul and mind still – where you give yourself to God's care even when
outward evidence tries to convince you that He is not there.
If you choose to exercise faith, God will make a
way. It might not be the way you would
choose, but it will be the way that brings honor to Him. Don't be alarmed if
you find yourself in anguish when your faith is being formed. Even Jesus was pressed to the limit. When He faced the Cross, He prayed for
release, but then released Himself to God's plans, not with resignation to fate, but
with a surrender that focused on His Father's will! There is no easy
road in the life of faith. The natural
man craves security, affirmation, and vindication of self! The spiritual man is secure in the Spirit,
affirmed by God, and is willing to wait for Heaven's revelation. It's a faith
thing!
Here is a word from the Word. Meditate on Jesus’ words on
this Monday morning and pray – Increase my
faith. “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this
mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey
you." (Luke 17:5-6, NIV) Such
faith can never find its source in me; it must always be fixed on Thee! Amen.
__________________
Good Good Father
I've heard a thousand
stories
Of what they think
You’re like,
But I've heard the
tender whisper
Of love in the dead of
night.
You tell me that
You’re pleased
And that I'm never
alone.
You're a Good, Good
Father!
It's who You are,
It's who You are,
It's who You are.
And I'm loved by You,
It's who I am,
It's who I am,
It's who I am.
I've seen many
searching for answers,
Far and wide,
But I know we're all
searching for answers
Only You provide.
Because You know just
what we need
Before we say a word,
You are perfect in all
of Your ways,
You are perfect in all
of Your ways,
You are perfect in all
of Your ways to us.
Love so undeniable I
can hardly speak,
Peace so unexplainable
I can hardly think,
As You call me deeper
still,
As You call me deeper
still,
As You call me deeper
still.
Into love, love, love!
You're a Good, Good
Father!
It's who You are,
It's who You are,
It's who You are.
And I'm loved by You,
It's who I am,
It's who I am,
It's who I am.
Anthony Brown | Pat Barrett
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