A silly superstition?

A friend died in spite of my faithful prayers. I wondered why. A man told me how he prayed for God’s intervention during that terrible day of 9/11/2001 when New York City was attacked by terrorists. He told me how his faith in God collapsed along with the second tower of the World Trade Center. Is faith supposed to create a trouble-free zone for us? Will enough prayers bring us lives of unbroken peace and astonishing prosperity until we die in our sleep at a ripe, old age? That is what some believe. But, is that what the Bible teaches?

I know people who claim to be persons of faith who treat prayer and God more like a lucky rabbit’s foot. Remember those? One of the sillier superstitions of Americana involves carrying a preserved rabbit’s foot, usually bound with a brass ring that allows it to be attached to a keychain. Various rituals, such as rubbing the fur, are alleged to bring ‘good luck’ to the owner of the totem. But, I have yet to meet a person for which the rabbit’s foot is central to life. It exists for crisis moments, hauled out to produce a win in a game of cards or to ‘help’ the deal to close! Silly? Of course. But, is it not equally foolish to think that we can ignore God and His will until we need Him to change some situation we find unpleasant or give us an advantage in a moment of competition?

Faith and prayer touch every part of my life. How I spend my money, the way I use my time, the standard by which I measure right and wrong, and more are anchored to my faith in Jesus Christ. As I drive to a meeting I breathe this prayer: “Spirit of God, use my words, my presence to make Your goodness known.” When a new day is dawning, my prayer, spoken and wordless, is to be available to Christ Jesus. There is nothing that I do that is separate from my life of faith. Yes, of course, there are lapses when I push the Lord from the picture consciously or unconsciously. On the whole faith is a thread that is woven into the fabric of my life.

Going to church, reading the Bible, active prayer, tithing, making certain to be ‘good’ are not done to earn points so we can avoid difficult situations! God doesn’t exist to be our personal good luck charm. He exercises a claim to be the Lord of life and offers us the opportunity to walk with Him through each day, come what may. The spiritual disciplines that are a part of our lives are our obedient response of living faith, expressions of our desire to know Him in a way that allows us to participate in His plans for our individual lives and His world, to live as a participant in His kingdom rule.

Did Daniel’s faith exempt him from ‘bad luck?’ Not at all. In fact, his faith caused him great difficulty in the short term by causing him to act in ways that put him in direct conflict with the edicts of the king! He lived by faith and saw God’s providence that preserved his life in the middle of the lion’s den. Paul’s faith did not exempt him from persecution, shipwreck, or suffering. He knew Christ Jesus was the hope of the world and this faith carried him through years of hard travel from one end of the Roman Empire to the other as he built the Church. He wrote that "since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." (Romans 5:1-4, NIV)

Disciple, don’t allow your faith to be reduced to the status of a silly superstition!
Make faith in God the center, that by which all things in your life are measured, from which all decisions flow. There will be moments when it will seem that God is not present, when prayers go unanswered, when nothing makes sense. Remain faithful!

Here’s a word from the Word. Live in the truth!
"Since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.
And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne." (Hebrews 12:1-2, NLT)

_____________

Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follower of the Lamb.
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His name?

Sure I must fight if I would reign,
Increase my courage, Lord:
I'll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy Word.

And when the battle's over
We shall wear a crown!
Yes, we shall wear a crown!
Yes, we shall wear a crown.
And when the battle's over
We shall wear a crown
In the new Jerusalem.
Wear a crown, wear a crown,
Wear a bright and shining crown;
And when the battle's over,
We shall wear a crown,
In the new Jerusalem.

When The Battle's Over

Watts, Isaac / Waters, Harriette / Lind, A.E.
© Public Domain