Cash or Credit when it comes to faith…

What does it mean to “live out” your faith? Is it T-shirts, bumper stickers, or the ever-popular verse tattoo if you are really serious…well?

My default definition of what I think it means to live out one’s faith is this: I hope I never have to prove that I have it…Please, just take my word for it God, you know my heart…PLEASE! Am I alone with this? Hello…can you hear me? Anyone out there?

OK, so you agree…but then something happens, as things always seem to, and our faith is put to the test. Don’t get me wrong – I DO NOT want my faith tested. I do not pray for more faith, and I hope that and pray that if God was to ask I would “want to” answer whatever the question may be this way: “Yes, Lord…”.

But what if God asked a really tough question? What if the question pertained to all your stuff? Or your career? Or your family? Or one of your children…..SCREEEEEECHH…STOP right there…where am I going with this?

Honestly, I pray that I “Never” have to prove it. Is this wrong? I don’t think so, but I do know that in order for people to know you have faith they need to “see” it in action. I may believe a lot I don’t see, but I believe all that I do…That said, read this:

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:17 (NIV)

Otherwise how does anyone know you have it? I mean it would be nice to carry around my “Faith” card in my wallet like a Super Platinum Amex knowing I could use it anytime or anywhere I wanted to without question. Even so, no one would know I have it unless I used it once in a while. Oh yea, there is that.

Problem with this is that if I hold onto it, I run the risk that when I do need it, what if it is not accepted, or I forget where I left it…or heaven forbid didn’t realize I had lost it somewhere along the way…well?

So what to do about it? We learn the Word and gain confidence with what it says about everything, then act accordingly. Then our actions become “faith-based”. Sounds easy enough, right? Not so fast, but know this: sometimes there is faith in standing up to or for something, other times there is faith in the waiting…pray to recognize the difference.

In His Grip,

Pastor Pat