Think Small
Faith . . . one word . . . the essence that some people build their whole lives around, while others it always seems to elude. Faith is the one thing that seems to please God the most, yet also seems to be what the enemy wants to attack the most.
I find myself quite often around people whose faith is stretched to the point of breaking because of the pain of this broken world; unable to offer sufficient answers to suffering—to why God doesn’t do more to stop evil. All we have is faith: that there is a bigger picture that we just can’t see, and in the midst of it God loves us enough and is good enough to die for us.
I was thinking about faith in my life today. Faith in the big things—How is God going to bring about 2 million dollars to expand His territory in Tigard and the world? What happens if He doesn’t? Is God going to restore the health of people close to me that I have spent countless hours praying for? How is God going to reach a world of people that need Him? And why don’t we see more of that?
As these thoughts whirl around in my mind a verse came to me that I memorized as a small child, maybe you know it too. It is out of Romans 1:17, “the righteous will live by faith.” Living by faith has a very active sound to it. Living by faith is not something we can do in the past, nor is it something we can do in the future; it is something that can only be done in the present. Right now as I write, I can write out of faith that maybe somehow, something I say will find its way to someone’s heart, or I can turn off the computer, and get to the more pressing matters of my day.
I guess maybe that is what the Lord is trying to say to me—I need to concentrate more of my effort to living by faith in the small decisions that I make throughout my day, as that is what is pleasing to God. Yeah, the big things are important also, but what about the small things. I often pass by those because I think I need to tackle the big issues, when what God is after is the little issues that are before me today.
So what are those little things? I guess it would be the phone call I need to make today that I feel I don’t have time for, but on the other end of the line there is somebody who needs encouragement. I need to have faith that God will take care of me if I give my time to others. Another example today is faith in giving. We all know I can’t come up with 2 million but I can have the faith to write my check to the expansion of His church (though a small part believing it makes a difference), and believing that He will take care of me and my family. I also need to not give up praying today for those in physical or emotional pain even if in some cases I have been doing it for years, with little to no results.
What are some other things? Having faith enough that if I make time to spend with the Lord I will still have enough time in my day, and it will really make a difference in my life. Having faith that God actually wants to use me today to make a difference in the world, as my neighbors, co-workers, and friends are in the world.
“Without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Heb. 11:6) I sometimes wonder how pleasing I am to God, how often I make him smile. I guess after all is said and done that question could be asked another way. What have I done today that demonstrates faith?
For those who feel faith is hard to find right now for whatever reason. Don’t despair. Sometimes the smallest steps of faith are actually the biggest. Sometimes a simple prayer to God can be a bigger step of faith than giving a million dollars to Him. It all depends on where you are at.
So I am here with my computer on, typing away in faith asking us to look at our lives, looking for that small step of faith that we can take together. If we take it, chances are it may end up being a bigger step than we thought it was, and lead to new adventures of faith with God. After all, you have to have faith, to find faith.
Stepping together,
Jon
I find myself quite often around people whose faith is stretched to the point of breaking because of the pain of this broken world; unable to offer sufficient answers to suffering—to why God doesn’t do more to stop evil. All we have is faith: that there is a bigger picture that we just can’t see, and in the midst of it God loves us enough and is good enough to die for us.
I was thinking about faith in my life today. Faith in the big things—How is God going to bring about 2 million dollars to expand His territory in Tigard and the world? What happens if He doesn’t? Is God going to restore the health of people close to me that I have spent countless hours praying for? How is God going to reach a world of people that need Him? And why don’t we see more of that?
As these thoughts whirl around in my mind a verse came to me that I memorized as a small child, maybe you know it too. It is out of Romans 1:17, “the righteous will live by faith.” Living by faith has a very active sound to it. Living by faith is not something we can do in the past, nor is it something we can do in the future; it is something that can only be done in the present. Right now as I write, I can write out of faith that maybe somehow, something I say will find its way to someone’s heart, or I can turn off the computer, and get to the more pressing matters of my day.
I guess maybe that is what the Lord is trying to say to me—I need to concentrate more of my effort to living by faith in the small decisions that I make throughout my day, as that is what is pleasing to God. Yeah, the big things are important also, but what about the small things. I often pass by those because I think I need to tackle the big issues, when what God is after is the little issues that are before me today.
So what are those little things? I guess it would be the phone call I need to make today that I feel I don’t have time for, but on the other end of the line there is somebody who needs encouragement. I need to have faith that God will take care of me if I give my time to others. Another example today is faith in giving. We all know I can’t come up with 2 million but I can have the faith to write my check to the expansion of His church (though a small part believing it makes a difference), and believing that He will take care of me and my family. I also need to not give up praying today for those in physical or emotional pain even if in some cases I have been doing it for years, with little to no results.
What are some other things? Having faith enough that if I make time to spend with the Lord I will still have enough time in my day, and it will really make a difference in my life. Having faith that God actually wants to use me today to make a difference in the world, as my neighbors, co-workers, and friends are in the world.
“Without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Heb. 11:6) I sometimes wonder how pleasing I am to God, how often I make him smile. I guess after all is said and done that question could be asked another way. What have I done today that demonstrates faith?
For those who feel faith is hard to find right now for whatever reason. Don’t despair. Sometimes the smallest steps of faith are actually the biggest. Sometimes a simple prayer to God can be a bigger step of faith than giving a million dollars to Him. It all depends on where you are at.
So I am here with my computer on, typing away in faith asking us to look at our lives, looking for that small step of faith that we can take together. If we take it, chances are it may end up being a bigger step than we thought it was, and lead to new adventures of faith with God. After all, you have to have faith, to find faith.
Stepping together,
Jon
posted by Jon Knapp at
9:42 AM
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