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Have Faith, God is Bigger Than This

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It Doesn’t Matter What “This” Is

Life can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. Being scared or not is a choice. Nobody said it would be easy.

Choosing not to be scared is bigger than we are.

Not being scared is about having faith in God and knowing that He has our back if we’re doing things He approves of. I’m constantly reminding myself of this. It’s easy for me to get scared when attempting to do something I’m uncomfortable with. Things that are outside my comfort zone are what God is calling me to do. These are the things that make us better.

Just like Matthew 14:25-33, when the disciples were afraid in the boat during a storm. They saw Jesus walking toward them on the water, Peter said to Jesus, “if it really is You, then command me to come to You on the water.” Jesus’ answer was, “Come”. Peter left the boat and walked on the water to Jesus. When Peter’s focus left Jesus and he started thinking about the wind and the waves, he became frightened and began to sink. Peter shouted, “Lord save me!” Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. Jesus told Peter, “Your faith is small. Why did you doubt?” We are so much like Peter.

Peter let his faith be overcome by fear.

This doesn’t mean we should do crazy dangerous things. Before Peter stepped out on faith, he asked Jesus and got His approval. He did fine until he took his eyes off Jesus and got scared. We are so much like Peter.

Having faith doesn’t mean everything is going to go wonderfully. It means that the outcome will be. The troubles along the way make us stronger and prepare us for the future problems. In Romans 5:1-11 we’re told to enjoy our troubles, because troubles produce patience, character and hope. And hope will never disappoint us.

We are not supposed to be afraid.

God did not give us a spirit of fear but of power, 2 Timothy 1:7. Don’t worry or be afraid, because God is with you, Isaiah 41:10. Where God’s love is there is no fear, 1 John 4:18.

When fighting a war, the losing side is either defeated or surrenders. If we’re fighting on God’s side, we’re going to win. There’s nothing out there that God can’t defeat. He’s bigger than everything.

The more we focus on Jesus the less we’ll be scared.

I Say That I Believe…But Do I Really?

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It’s Easy to Say, But Hard to Do

What does it mean to believe? The words believe, trust, and faith are thrown around a lot. They’re used in all forms of motivational situations. You may have seen the Geico commercial in which Pinocchio is portrayed as a bad motivational speaker. (use a picture from the commercial)

In the commercial Pinocchio’s nose begins to grow when he tells people that they have potential. This commercial shows us the real problem with believing…we don’t. It presumes that Pinocchio is lying when he tells people that they have potential. The lie is in what Pinocchio is telling himself. He doesn’t believe that he or anyone has potential.

Every one of us has potential!

The words, believe, trust, and faith are often used synonymously but have subtle differences. Faith is a noun only. Trust is both a noun and verb. Believe is only a verb. We know from English class that a noun is a person, place or thing. A verb is used to describe an action.

We use these words as nouns. As a treasure that is out there for us to find. The problem is that two of the three are verbs, and we should be taking action. This means that we need to do something.

If I believe that I’m doing what God wants me to do…why doesn’t it appear to be working?

A few days ago, as part of my morning Scripture reading, I read Mark 11:20-24. In this message Peter asks Jesus about a fig tree that the day before Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And now, “it is dry and dead.” Jesus replied to Peter, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, fall into the sea.’ And if you have no doubts in your mind and believe that what you say will happen, God will do it for you. So, I tell you to believe that you have received the things you ask for in prayer, and God will give them to you.”

As I contemplated this Scripture as it related to my question, I realized a few things.

When the scripture says, “…say to this mountain, ‘Go fall into the sea.’ And if you have no doubts…it will happen”. That sounds great, but really, do I think the mountain is going to just move. Think of the chaos that would ensue if we all did this. I would move the mountain over there and somebody else would move it somewhere else. Maybe my believing is about doing. I could move the mountain with a bucket, by developing a machine, by designing a system, or by employing a team. The scripture isn’t about magic, it’s about believing that I can do it.

“God will do it for you.” I don’t doubt for a minute that if He chooses to move a mountain from here to there in one big piece He can. But more likely, His way of doing it for me is through ideas, plans, methods, help, etc. We are made in His image…we’re not Him.

As I pointed out earlier, believe is a verb. This means that if I believe, then I will need to do something. I can’t just say that I believe and wait for the miracles. I need to do my part. My belief needs to be accompanied by action.

I can say I believe, but if I don’t act then I don’t really believe.

My problem is that I’m looking forward to the mountain being moved and getting distracted by the enormity of it. I need to trust that God will show me what each next step is. Pastor Lee shared about Bill Irwin, (use picture from this link) a blind man that in 1990 hiked the Appalachian Trail alone. God didn’t magically take Bill from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mt. Katahdin in north central Maine. Instead Bill walked 2,168 miles over nine months without maps or GPS or assistance one step at a time.

Bill believed and with God’s help, moved his mountain. It’s up to us to believe and move ours.

The World Is Full of Opportunities

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Uplifed hands full of twinkling lights

 

 

 

It’s Our Responsibility to Make the Most of Them

 

 

In our humanness we all feel inadequate. We don’t think we have what it takes to do that thing…whatever that thing for us is.


One of Rev. James Moore’s seminary responsibilities was a weekly visit to a hospital. One week he was asked to speak to Mrs. Davis who was scheduled for brain surgery the next morning. She didn’t want to be bothered, but in her condition and with the risky surgery the hospital felt that he should visit her anyway.

 


In his young, inexperienced, inadequate state, he didn’t think he could do it.


The hospital staff continued to push him until he finally went to pray with her. Things didn’t go so well; he opened the door too hard and it banged the wall, he kicked her bed as he walked around it and then when he started to pray with her…he didn’t know what to say. He stammered around as he prayed and finally after feeling like a complete failure, he left.


He went directly to his professor and told him that he wasn’t cut out for this work, he had just made a mess of things at the hospital and wanted to drop out. The professor said that he was too busy right then, to come back next week and they would talk.


When Rev. Moore went back for his regular scheduled time at the hospital, he was expecting bad news…but he found that Mrs. Davis was doing well. When he went to see her, she explained that last week before he came to her, she had given up. His visit had gone so poorly that she felt sorry for him and this compassion for him, had given her the will to live.


Rev. Moore went on to become a minister, author and leader who impacted thousands of lives.


We don’t have to be perfect; we don’t have to be good; we just have to be willing.

 


Faith is being willing to get up and go when God gives us opportunities. He doesn’t ask us to do things with talents that we don’t have. Believe in yourself and trust in God.

 


Who knows how many we can help if we will move forward in faith.

There Are Miracles Waiting at The Edge of Our Faith

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That Faith Only Needs to Be as Big as a Mustard Seed

 

We really don’t believe in miracles, we say that we do, but not really. Our faith is almost nonexistent. We sell ourselves and God short. It’s no wonder that we live lives of mediocrity.


Even the apostles, who had witnessed Jesus perform miracles doubted. He told them, “If your faith were the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Dig yourself up and plant yourself in the sea.,” and it would obey you.” Luke 17:5-6 I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a mustard seed, but they’re tiny.


Faith requires action.


Imagine yourself at a circus watching all the amazing trapeze artists and high wire acts. After the tight rope walker goes across the high wire the ring master asks the crowd if they would like to see him ride a bicycle across. Everyone applauds and says yes. Next the ring master asks if they would like to see him go across with someone riding on his shoulders. The applause and screams are louder than before. Then the ringmaster asks…who will volunteer to be that person? The crowd instantly is quiet. Oh, ye of little faith.


We’ve been put here for a purpose. To live out that purpose to its fullest requires faith and action.


Faith starts with forgiveness.


Anger stops the flow of miracles. Forgiveness releases them. We think holding back forgiveness is punishment to those who have wronged us…it isn’t, forgiveness benefits the forgiver as much as the forgiven. It clears the blockage and opens a clear path for miracles to flow through.


Faith is all about believing.


We only need to believe a mustard seed amount for miracles to happen. It’s sad how many people don’t even have this much faith. God will never expect us to do more than we can. The problem is that we don’t believe. There are examples of amazing things all around us if we will just look. The more we believe in God and ourselves the bigger the miracles will be.


Faith concludes with serving.


Serving is the result of putting our faith into action. Our specific purpose is to serve God and others using our gifts and talents. Serving others is not demeaning, it is the fulfillment of our purpose. Small acts of service ripple through out time and space ending in huge miracles.


We are made in God’s image but live in a fallen world. It is hard to see through the haze of the fallen world to the miracles that happen. In the story of the mulberry tree above, it says, if you have faith, it will obey you…it doesn’t say anything about seeing it.


We witness miracles every day that were started by someone else’s faith and action.

 

What Is Faith and Do You Have It?

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It’s A Rare Thing and Hard to Find

 

 

Faith is more than believing, it requires action. This action requires letting go and putting our trust in something bigger. Henri Nouwen tells a story about The Flying Rodleighs who were trapeze artists. The leader of the troupe told Henri,

“The secret is that the flyer does nothing and the catcher does everything. The worst thing the flyer can do is to try to catch the catcher. A flyer must fly, and a catcher must catch, and the flyer must trust, with outstretched arms, that his catcher will be there for him.”

 


As kids we have this kind of faith. We will jump from a bed, without any warning, expecting a parent to catch us.

 


If no one is there when we jump this doesn’t work so well. The more times we’ve jumped, and no one is there to catch us, the more untrusting we become. Faith does not mean we have to see the person catching us, we just need to know that they are there. A relationship needs to be developed prior to the jump. We need to listen to the Catcher’s voice and know that He will catch us.


“Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.” Hebrews 11:1


I’ve been scared to jump. I’ve hit the ground enough times that I remember what it feels like. This is what happens when we jump without checking with the catcher. God has some big scary business changes in mind and has been pushing me to jump; to the point of pulling a board out from under me. 

 


I have been talking about this leap since then, but it’s scary. Talking is not the same as doing. Believing is not the same as action. I’ve been holding on afraid to let go. “We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. They are the people he called, because that was his plan.” Romans 8:28 

 


My toes are hanging off the edge and I’m going to jump…I mean it. The Catcher has been patiently waiting and will not let me fall.


Check back to see what this jump looks like.

 

 

Do You Have Your Affairs in Order?

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Having Your Priorities in The Right Place

 

 

“The love of money causes all kinds of evil. Some people have left the faith, because they wanted to get more money, but they have caused themselves much sorrow.”, 1 Timothy 6:10 NCV. Money and wealth are often seen as evil and wrong.


The problem isn’t the money, the problem is the heart.

 


The Leo Tolstoy story, “How Much Land Does a Man Need” is a classic tale of greed. In this story Pahom, a hardworking farmer with a small piece of land. After a series of events he has managed to purchase more and more land, but it’s still not enough. He is then presented with the opportunity to buy some land for a fixed price. He can have as much as he wants but must be able to walk around it in a day. He starts walking quickly around the property as the day goes on, he keeps getting further and further from the starting point. He looks up and realizes the day is coming to an end and he still has a long way to go. He runs hard to get back and just as the sun sets, he collapses at the starting point. Exhausted from his effort he dies. He is buried in a 3’x6’ plot, thus the question is answered.


The rich man who had a great harvest and tears down his barn to build a bigger one in Luke 12:13-41 experiences the same fate. He thinks he can have good things for many years and can “eat, drink and be merry”. This doesn’t work out so well.


Both men are dealing with four of the same issues.

 


1st – Full barns and empty hearts. They both were looking at themselves from man’s perspective rather than God’s. They saw their worth only from a worldly view.


2nd – Overestimation of their own worth. They saw what they had as being from the work of their own hands. They gave none of the credit to God.


3rd – They forgot what their real business was. Like in the Christmas Carole when Jacob Marley come back as a ghost and warns Scrooge. “I wear the chain I forged in life…I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it.”…”Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were my business.”


4th – They forgot about time. They thought they had all the time they wanted…but they didn’t.

 


We all have a limited amount of time and only God knows what that is.


We need to use the time we’re given here to prepare for the eternal. We have a limited amount of time in this life and we need to use it wisely. Pastor Lee pointed out how digital clocks show time as fixed and unmoving and analog clocks with second hands are constantly moving, time is continuously moving.


A very sick man was sitting, with his family. His doctor told him that he didn’t have long to live and that he should get his affairs in order. The man put his arms around his family and said to the doctor, “Sir, my affairs ARE in order.

 

 


Make sure that your affairs are in order.