Faith

-
It is so easy to fall into the trap of saying, my faith is too weak; I just have to try harder. I was confronted with this problem when I reflected on my doubts centering on Jesus. But telling ourselves we just have to suck it up and have more faith makes the assumption that faith is something we can obtain on our own.  But if you look at the scriptures, faith is not something you can muster.
Ephesians 2:8 says "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not from yourselves, but it is a gift from God. And again in Philippians 1:29, Paul says "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him"

Faith is not from us, it is from God.  So instead of trying to muster it on our own, we need to turn our attention toward God and ask that we can have more faith. And as Jesus reminds us, the smallest amount of faith – “the size of a mustard seed” - can move mountains.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Monkey Bars

-
Image
     I was talking with my wife's father, a retired pastor, and he told me about an image he used in many of his sermons throughout the years.  It is a thing that every kid learns on the monkey bars on the playground at school.  It is simply this: when you are on the monkey bars, you can't move forward until you let the hand behind you let go of the last bar.      In this way, I am kind of stuck in my life.  The trailing monkey bar is my smoking cigarettes.  I just haven't been able to let go of that bar no matter how hard I try.  I believe that this bar gives me a lift.  You see, I suffer from a chronic depression.  When I go outside and have a smoke and a caffeinated beverage, I get a little boost to my mood.  Often this gets me back on track and I start doing things besides laying in bed.  I might do the dishes and I feel better about what I have accomplished.  I might, being awake ...
Read more of this post »

I long to see him

-
Image
I long to see my savior.  I long to see him coming on the clouds and standing there in front of me.  I will kiss his feet and touch his face and say, Rabbi, you have been my teacher, my friend, my confidant.  I love you and all that you do.  You have inspired me to better myself, to better the world, to help my fellow man.  I could not exist without you and you have given me everything I have. You have given me a good job, a beautiful wife, feet that know the good of walking the path you laid out for me, even the thorn of suffering in my side that has grown me and perfected me. Take this soul and make it sing, Son of Yahweh. "Take this mouth, so quick to criticize. Take this mouth, and give it a kiss." I am waiting for the dawn after the long night.  Anticipation gives life to me.  I am ready to do anything you ask of me.  No man can take this from me.  You have my heart and all of me.
Read more of this post »

A Letter To a Friend

-
Image
I woke up at 9:00 this morning, threw some clothes on and headed out the door.  I was meeting with the a ministry leader at 9:20 that morning because I had expressed an interest in joining their care ministry at my new church. Just before I left, I sent him a letter that I had written that week for a young man who I had visited in the adolescent psych unit at the hospital.  I thought it would give the ministry leader some insight into my interactions with my care receivers, as I had been a Stephen Minister for 5 years and a lay chaplain at my previous church. When I got there, I sat down with the ministry leader.  We got to talking and I asked him what he did for work previously.  He said he was a pharmacist.  Then he said something that perked my ears: He said his first rotation was for a Psychiatric Hospital in Ohio.  He said there was razor wire around the high wall surrounding it and double locked doors on every ward.  I asked him if it was for peo...
Read more of this post »