Faith

Faithfulness …. We talk a whole lot more about faith then we do faithfulness in Christian circles but I believe Jesus is saying here that faith is demonstrated by doing what we are suppose to do. That is that we should live out our life in Christian service and make Jesus number one in our life. The disciples were asking for faith – - Jesus was saying if you act faithfully you've already got it. It’s not so much about having big ideas for God – lots of faith as it is about living faithfully with what you’ve got. Faith really isn’t faith until it is expressed.

Now, of course this sounds better in a sermon than in real life. In real life serving day in and day out can weary us to the extreme. But when we do what Jesus tells us to do that is when it really means we trust Him. Because let’s face it sometimes Jesus tells us to do some pretty hard things.

Jesus teaches us to humble ourselves when our natural reaction and our cultural encouragement is to build up yourself and toot your own horn. Jesus teaches us to put others first and ourselves last but the world rewards those who watch out for number one. Jesus teaches us to forgive others but the world encourages revenge and standing up for yourself. Jesus teaches us to take up our cross and follow Him and that is not easy and carrying a cross is not very inviting to more of us. You see there is no way to live out those following Christ virtues without faith that He is who He says He is and He will make it right in the end.

So if you’re not doing those things then ask yourself…Do I really trust Him? We need to exercise our faith by putting it in action. Exercising faith – whether big or small isn't a matter of putting on a show and making bold statements and claiming big things on TV – rather it is the humble, invisible, routine, day-in-and day out business of serving. You know sometimes getting up putting your cloths on and going to work despite how bad you are hurting and how little you understand is the biggest act of faith you will do that day. You see faith in Jesus takes on different looks when lived out and it’s not always as obvious or dramatic.

Sometimes faith looks like a wife on her knees in a waiting room praying for her husband who is in surgery for a tumor to be removed, and the doctor comes in and says, “There is no tumor there. We don’t know what happened to it. It’s just not there. We can’t explain it. It’s just not there.” Sometimes that is what faith looks like. But sometimes faith is a wife sitting in a cemetery and watching a casket lowered into the ground. That’s faith, too, you know.

Sometimes faith is a high school student who decides to start a Bible Study on campus and it just takes off. Incredible things are accomplished and there is this revival that takes place in the whole school. Sometimes that is what faith looks like. But sometimes faith is a high school student who walks into school with a Bible and is mocked and ridiculed and spends four years of her life overlooked and misunderstood. That is faith, too.