Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. Hebrews 11:1-2
“I wish I had your faith,” a man once said to me. I don’t now remember what was going on in his life, but I’m sure things had been difficult for him. And there was I, not only a person of faith (some, anyway - if he did but know how little!) but actually a “professional”.
His remark made it sound as if faith is pretty much a matter of chance - like having blue eyes or a talent for football. I, as far as he could see, happened to be one of the lucky ones. And so he envied me.
It wasn’t the time or place to launch into a discussion in order to put him right. But I tried, just very briefly, to get across that faith is a gift of God, and because God is gracious, generous and kind, it is available to anyone and everyone who genuinely and humbly seeks it.
Why some people come relatively easily to faith while others struggle is a mystery. For myself, I didn’t grow up in a Christian home: my parents, certainly good people, rarely went to church and never, to my knowledge, prayed; and there was never any sign of “religion” in our upbringing.
But they decided that my brother and I ought to have some kind of religious foundation to our lives, so every Sunday afternoon we were packed off to Sunday-School at a local church. And we both became believers; looking back now, I can’t really remember a time when I didn’t have some kind of faith.
But the step of coming to faith was by no means easy; nor have all the millions of steps of faith since. Doubts, struggles, failures - they all form part of the “faith package”, as far as my experience goes, along with the comfort, peace and joy.
So yes, faith can be hard; and yet Jesus requires it of us. And yes, faith is a gift; and yet we are expected to have it. Putting it the other way round, it seems that lack of faith is worthy of a rebuke: as his disciples struggle with the storm, for example, he chastises them: “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40).
So, a question: How do we gain faith if we are the kind of person it doesn’t come easily to?
I suggest two answers.
First, ask for it.
Sorry if that seems like stating the obvious, but that is sometimes what we need. To give them credit, it’s worth noticing that the disciples weren’t afraid to do just that: “Increase our faith!” they said (Luke 17:5). And Jesus gave that wonderful reply about faith no bigger than the mustard seed, proverbial for its tininess - as if to say: what matters most is not so much great faith, but faith in a great God.
Second, act on such faith as you have.
In our homes we have both ornaments to make the place look nice, and working tools to do practical things with. Well, faith is a working tool, not an ornament, and we need to put it to work. And that means making decisions, adopting attitudes and doing things which might not necessarily be logical and common sense, but which rest on the belief (after prayer, of course) that God is in them and behind them. We sometimes refer to this as “stepping out in faith”, a phrase that implies boldness. (Somebody once said that the word “faith” is spelled r-i-s-k, which I think makes the point.) The great thing is that as we consciously act on faith it quietly grows, like a muscle that is regularly exercised.
Here’s a second question: What difference does it make to our lives when we learn to live by faith?
This is where Hebrews 11:1-2 can help us. Again, it suggests two answers.
First, faith puts backbone into us. Note those three great words in verse 1: confidence, hope, and assurance. We cease to be the kind of people who just get blown around by every wind of fashion and opinion; we become people with vision and purpose, people of principle. How such people are needed in our modern world!
And second, it puts us in wonderful company, for “this is what the ancients were commended for”. Yes, the man or woman of faith joins the ranks of Moses and Abraham, of Hannah and David, of Elijah and Ruth - people who are precious in God’s eyes; people who make a difference.
So why not join the disciples in their prayer...
Lord, increase my faith! Amen.
... and then brace ourselves to be ready for whatever may come!
“I wish I had your faith,” a man once said to me. I don’t now remember what was going on in his life, but I’m sure things had been difficult for him. And there was I, not only a person of faith (some, anyway - if he did but know how little!) but actually a “professional”.
His remark made it sound as if faith is pretty much a matter of chance - like having blue eyes or a talent for football. I, as far as he could see, happened to be one of the lucky ones. And so he envied me.
It wasn’t the time or place to launch into a discussion in order to put him right. But I tried, just very briefly, to get across that faith is a gift of God, and because God is gracious, generous and kind, it is available to anyone and everyone who genuinely and humbly seeks it.
Why some people come relatively easily to faith while others struggle is a mystery. For myself, I didn’t grow up in a Christian home: my parents, certainly good people, rarely went to church and never, to my knowledge, prayed; and there was never any sign of “religion” in our upbringing.
But they decided that my brother and I ought to have some kind of religious foundation to our lives, so every Sunday afternoon we were packed off to Sunday-School at a local church. And we both became believers; looking back now, I can’t really remember a time when I didn’t have some kind of faith.
But the step of coming to faith was by no means easy; nor have all the millions of steps of faith since. Doubts, struggles, failures - they all form part of the “faith package”, as far as my experience goes, along with the comfort, peace and joy.
So yes, faith can be hard; and yet Jesus requires it of us. And yes, faith is a gift; and yet we are expected to have it. Putting it the other way round, it seems that lack of faith is worthy of a rebuke: as his disciples struggle with the storm, for example, he chastises them: “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40).
So, a question: How do we gain faith if we are the kind of person it doesn’t come easily to?
I suggest two answers.
First, ask for it.
Sorry if that seems like stating the obvious, but that is sometimes what we need. To give them credit, it’s worth noticing that the disciples weren’t afraid to do just that: “Increase our faith!” they said (Luke 17:5). And Jesus gave that wonderful reply about faith no bigger than the mustard seed, proverbial for its tininess - as if to say: what matters most is not so much great faith, but faith in a great God.
Second, act on such faith as you have.
In our homes we have both ornaments to make the place look nice, and working tools to do practical things with. Well, faith is a working tool, not an ornament, and we need to put it to work. And that means making decisions, adopting attitudes and doing things which might not necessarily be logical and common sense, but which rest on the belief (after prayer, of course) that God is in them and behind them. We sometimes refer to this as “stepping out in faith”, a phrase that implies boldness. (Somebody once said that the word “faith” is spelled r-i-s-k, which I think makes the point.) The great thing is that as we consciously act on faith it quietly grows, like a muscle that is regularly exercised.
Here’s a second question: What difference does it make to our lives when we learn to live by faith?
This is where Hebrews 11:1-2 can help us. Again, it suggests two answers.
First, faith puts backbone into us. Note those three great words in verse 1: confidence, hope, and assurance. We cease to be the kind of people who just get blown around by every wind of fashion and opinion; we become people with vision and purpose, people of principle. How such people are needed in our modern world!
And second, it puts us in wonderful company, for “this is what the ancients were commended for”. Yes, the man or woman of faith joins the ranks of Moses and Abraham, of Hannah and David, of Elijah and Ruth - people who are precious in God’s eyes; people who make a difference.
So why not join the disciples in their prayer...
Lord, increase my faith! Amen.
... and then brace ourselves to be ready for whatever may come!
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