“For you are saved by
grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift – not from
works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
I had a
wonderful conversation about God yesterday, during the conversation a question
was asked to me. What would you say is the most important thing for people to
know concerning with the Spiritual forces and demons? The answer was Faith, but
it was not that short of an answer.
Faith is one
of our greatest tools that we have as Christians. How do we know what we know?
Well that philosophical question is a rabbit hole that goes very deep, but the
answer for that to me is we put faith in what we believe we know. We put faith
in what we believe. I don’t care what faith you have, your belief and the faith
in that belief is where you will draw strength from it.
Jesus said
that the faith the size of a mustard seed you can make a mountain jump into the
sea. That alone should tell us just how powerful faith is. In the Armor of God,
Paul states the Shield of Faith as the most important piece of that armor.
Through our faith we do many things that we would not do.
Why is faith
so important? Faith is the foundation of belief. We put faith in something and
that develops into belief. Through our faith we are saved by Grace. Grace is
something that we are given, and the only way we are able to measure up as it
were. As we build our faith we draw closer to God and as we draw closer to God,
we desire to do the things that God wishes us to do more.
This makes
me think about the statement in James about Faith without works is dead. Why is
faith without works dead? If your faith is alive and producing fruit, works is
a byproduct. Works is part of what you are growing for the harvest. If you are
going through a lull in your faith and striving to revive it, I’ve got a good
idea for you. Go back to your Grey Door, that symbol that you have of the
turning point in your life.
Once you are
back at that Grey Door, pray for guidance and read the bible. Maybe you should
read the Armor of God prayer for a few days. As you do these things you will
begin to travel the spiritual path that you blazed before. Open your heart and
allow your faith to build. As it builds you will find that there are
opportunities to help out and do things that God wishes for us to do.
Some of us
get tasks such as writing, or teaching. Others it may be a mission trip. It all
depends on the spiritual gifts that you personally possess. Even more than that
it could be something small and simple that does not seem to be your forte, but
there is an opportunity there that will open the next door or show you the path
that you missed or were not ready to travel down.
God has a
plan and path for us, but it is only through our Faith that we can do these
things. As your faith grows so does the desire to use the spiritual gifts that
you have. Is your place warming a pew? No, it never is. There is always more
for you to do.
Each of us
has a story to tell and a walk to walk. Each of us is blessed with some kind of
gift. What stops us from completing the tasks that we are given to complete?
God provides us with all things that we need. If he has a purpose for us, he
will provide us with the way to complete these tasks. It may be through the
generosity of others, or it may be through some other process or procedure that
he has in store for us.
These things
cannot pan out if we do not have the faith that they will pan out. With that
faith comes a calm peace that builds strength. We know that we have set our
feet upon a firm foundation, we have taken refuge here in the storms, and we
have the Faith in what we have seen and been told. We know that God does not
let us go without things that we need. If God has a need for us to do
something, this becomes a need for us. God does not let us go without what we
need.
So how can
you and I find our paths in all of this? This is the current struggle that I
have. I do not see where my path is leading me, but I have Faith in the one
that laid out the path before my feet. I know that the road will take me where
I belong, because it always has. I have faith, and that faith has built the
desire to do the works that God has called me to do.
I write
because it is a gift that I have been given. What have you been given? How can
you do the things that you have been called to do? Well that is part of the
process. The opposition desires us to not complete these works that we have
been called to do. They want us to be crippled by fear and depression. Perfect
Love drives out fear, and that love is built on Faith.
You say that
you don’t know what gifts you have. What are your strengths? How can you use
them for God? Congratulations you have discovered one of your spiritual gifts. I
say one of them because many of us have a lot of things that we are good at.
Remember Jesus was a carpenter. I know a lot of people around that have things
they need that would be a blessing if they were repaired.
So you are a
mechanic and a Christian, good. How many times have you passed someone on the
side of the road that was broken down? Maybe each of those times was a chance
to be Jesus for someone in a desperate situation. It might be you that God is
sending to be Jesus to not only save them from their physical problem, but also
to tell them about God and share the Good news.
Maybe you
are a lawyer. I’m sure there are plenty of desperate people that you can reach
out to in bad situations to share with them what God has done for you and
through you. Talk about being someone’s savior and then telling them that it
wasn’t you that saved them, but It’s Jesus that can save them. A fisherman can
feed people. Maybe make a blanket forthe poor like St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Shrewsbury, PA.
The Starks
say the truth, “Winter is Coming.” A warm blanket for someone in winter; talk
about being Jesus for someone. What is your gift? What can you do for someone?
How can you be Jesus for someone? Let me tell you from experience, writing a
complete stranger that is locked away in Jail can bring that person hope. Hope
can kindle a fire that can spur them to make life changes that they had not
made before.
We are put
here to Glorify God and how can we do that if we only spend our time around
other Christians? How can we show others the glory of God and the power of
Faith and Grace if we do not get out and do the things that God has asked us to
do? Who knows, God might move you to the Caribbean to do his good work.
Through
Faith and by the Grace that dwells within us, all is possible. What is keeping
you where you are? What is stopping you from taking your next step for God? Why
have you not taken that step that will lead you on such an adventure that you
may have never dreamed possible?
“A journey of a
thousand miles must begin with a single step” Lao Tzu
