Growing your faith

I don't usually do this on my blog, but I felt this passage from the book was too powerful to ignore.  This also comes out in our newsletter, but I think we could all read it more than once!  The italic portion is from John Ortberg's book  If You Want to Walk on Water You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat.  Enjoy!

Again a thought from our continuing look at the book: If You Want to Walk on Water You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat.  Want the secret to more faith?  Read on.

            I believe an important reason why God so often asks us to take a first step has to do with the nature of faith and how it grows.  Most people I know wish, at least at certain points in their lives, that they had more faith.  I know of people who torment themselves over having too little of it.  They are certain that their lack of faith is the reason for an unanswered prayer, for spiritual weakness, or for a sense of distance from God.

           

            Martin Luther knew all about doubt: “In Torgau a wretched little woman once came to me and said, ‘Ah, dear Doctor, I have the idea that I’m lost and can’t be saved because I can’t believe.’  Then I replied, ‘Do you believe, dear lady, that what you pray in the Creed is true?’  She answered with clasped hands, ‘Oh yes, I believe it; it’s most certainly true!’  To which I replied, ‘Then go in God’s name, dear lady.  You believe more and better than I.’”

            “It’s the devil who puts such ideas into people’s heads and says, ‘Ah, you must believe better.  You must believe more.  Your faith is not very strong and is insufficient.’  In this way he drives them to despair.”

           

            When people wrestle with doubt, they may tell themselves that they will try harder to have more faith. But faith is not the sort of thing that can be acquired by trying harder.  Imagine if someone were to say to you, “I find myself doubting Old Faithful.  I’m just not sure it can be trusted.”  What would your advice be?  Not “Try harder to believe!”  The best advice for such a person would be, “Just hang around Old Faithful.  Get to know Old Faithful better.”  And because Old Faithful is faithful, the better you know it, the more you will trust it.

            It is the same with God.  Never try to have more faith-just get to know God better.  And because God is faithful, the better you know him the more you will trust him.  The way to get to know his trustworthiness is to risk obeying him.  Ole Hallesby writes about the father who comes to Jesus to ask him to help him “if you can.”

            “‘If?’ Jesus says.  ‘All things are possible to him who believes.’

            ‘I do believe,’ the man says, ‘help my unbelief.’  Like most of us, he was a mixture of trust and doubt.  How much faith did he have?

            ‘Enough to come to Jesus,’ Hallesby writes.  ‘And that was enough.’”

        How much faith do I need?  Not a feeling of certainty.  Just enough faith to take a step.

           

            I can’t add anything else to this.  I felt it was very powerful and certainly spoke to the way I feel a lot of the time.  Read it again…cut it out…pull it out when you’re feeling like your faith is lacking and you feel spiritually inadequate.  God is faithful!  Amen.

Uff Da!!

I knew that rain dance that Tracy was doing yesterday afternoon would work!  I had to convince the boys she wasn't having a seizure..."No Isaac and Alex ,that's just how mommy dances waiving her hands like that and moving around."  I haven't heard the rainfall amounts, but it was a substantial rain and the moisture was sorely needed!  I know we've been talking about the need for rain too much when in the middle of the shower Isaac tells grandma and grandpa on the phone, "It is raining, so the farmers should be happy now."  Well, the farmers will be happy for awhile at least! 
How refreshing it was to have a nice rain shower.  Everything always seems cleaner after a rain.  The anxiety of a failed crop is abated for awhile, and all can seem well with the world again.  It would be an easy transition here to talk about the forgiveness of God cleansing us like a much needed rain.  In order to keep you guessing I'm going to take a different track.  My sermon this past Sunday was on the 6th commandment, "Thou shalt not murder."  And while that is most definitely a commandment against murder Jesus expands it to the killing of each other with words.  What we say has immense power.  Sometimes we can't take back when we say something mean spirited, and no amount of washing and refreshing rain can completely wipe away the negative affects of hurtful speech.
Throughout the day Sunday after the sermon I found myself reflecting on times when my sarcasm and my words came across as mean spirited.  I found myself thinking about the times my words cut someone down, hurt someone, or even when someone else's words hurt me.  Many times each incident wasn't intentional and usually a result of miscommunication, but the damage was done.  I was reminded all day that words have tremendous power and we need to be reminded of that from time to time.  I also found myself wishing all the past mistakes could just be washed away like Tracy's car was cleaned off in that rain shower.
Take a minute and think before you speak.  You see, all we really needed to know about life we really did learn in kindergarten!  Also, in today's world take a minute and think before you type and hit "send."  Would you want that said about you?  What message is that going to send?  Is there a way you can reach out to that person instead of cutting them down with words?  Be mindful of the power that our words have to build up and to tear down.  We might be hurting someone and not even be aware of it.