Bugged

"You just gotta have faith!"

This statement really bugs me.

There's a rampant misconception in the world that if we just had more faith, things would work out the way we want them to. This saddens and frustrates me at the same time because it can make people feel disqualified or unworthy if they don't have "enough" faith. I have two problems with the "faith" statement above. One, I think this misconception comes from a misunderstanding about what faith is. Two, how we want things to work out isn't always what God has in mind.

I just finished teaching Intern Class. We're wrapping up a study/discussion about the dreams and desires God puts in our hearts. We talked about some of the great examples of faith in the Old Testament: Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Joseph, Moses... All of these were people who had strong desires and dreams for specific things to happen to them and through them. What great examples for us to follow! If we forget the details about their lives (or don't read them carefully), however, we can foolishly think that these people were extra-special. People who were uniquely equipped with extra measures of faith. They were actually just like you and me.

Paul says of Abraham in Romans 4 that he was unwavering in his faith. I disagree. Well, not really... I just feel the need to elaborate on that statement. The overall story of Abraham's life tells us that he was indeed a man of faith. He did have his moments of doubting, though. He and Sarah had a hard time believing they would have son together; he lied to a foreign king that Sarah was his sister--because he was afraid... I'm sure Joseph had his moments, too--in jail, wondering how in the world would his dream come true. And Moses... Well, Moses protested and argued with God that he was the right one for the job God called him to do.

Here's the point. Faith isn't about never having doubt. It's not (only) about believing something in our mind. It's about putting one leg in front of the other and walking--as though we knew which direction to go to reach the promised "land." It's active; it's scary; it's messy; it's broken... and it's imperfect because we are. Faith moves--even when it doesn't intellectually "believe." It's moving towards something we can't see but believe (read: act like, live like) is already there (Hebrews 11:1).

What's your dream? Is there something God put in your heart that you've lost hope for? That you can't believe could actually happen? It doesn't have to be a "big" thing--like becoming the next Billy Graham. It could be something very day-to-day--like something being healed or made right in a relationship you have; or getting to know a neighbor who you want to share the Lord with; or growing closer to God; or...?

Do you feel intimidated by all the great men and women of faith in the Bible...and around you? Well, guess what? You've got the same DNA. You're from the same family. That's the wonderful revelation in Galatians 3. When we put our faith in Jesus, we're in God's family and become children of Abraham. It's not a pipe dream; it's the truth--and it's yours to claim.