Faith and Works

How many times in your life have you let fear keep you from moving into something you believed was for you? How many times have you let life’s circumstances deter you from making a change? How many times have you allowed what others said to keep you from taking a risk? There have been many times I’ve taken a risk and it didn’t pan out, but I tried. Maybe those were the right choices, maybe not, However, I know I tried. 

It is impossible to please God without faith (Heb 11:6). So, we must believe in Him and believe that He will do exactly what He says (2 Pet 3:9-11; Rom 4:21). One thing I’ve learned over the years is that I can trust God to take care of me (Matt 6:26). From my first move to Florida to my latest move to Kansas City (which was not in my life plan), I have trusted that God had my best interests at heart. When obstacles come, I know that I will make it through them because I am His child and I am in Christ Jesus. 

Pastor Craig addressed faith this morning in his message based on the movie “Air,” about Nike signing Michael Jordan. It was very insightful to see how faith in the Lord can provide guidance for the way through. A couple of the types of faith mentioned during the message resonated with me. 

The faith to believe there is a way to accomplish something was one of them. I believe I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13) because God’s word says so. I don’t question whether I can – I really only question whether I truly want to. Don’t get me wrong – there are some things God has called me to that I didn’t want to do, but I did them to be obedient to Him. In the same way, there have been things I didn’t know how to do, but I believed He would guide me and He always has. 

Another type of faith was the faith to take a risk. When I accepted the position in Kansas City, I had never been to the area and knew nothing about it but what I’d found on the internet. I had no idea whether I would like it or not. I just knew I was supposed to be here. I had no idea how it would turn out, where I would live, how the job would go, nothing. I only knew two things – God was calling me to it and I was going to be obedient. Within that knowledge was also the fact that I knew if God was calling me to it, he would provide what I needed to do it (Prov 2:6-8). 

Remember, you can trust God, you can stand on His word and His direction. The problem is making sure you’re standing on His direction and not your own. Many times, we decide we want a certain thing and we step into it without waiting on or listening to God to move (Prov 3:5-6). God should be our first call not our last resort. If we listen and obey, we won’t have to make the sacrifices in the future (1 Sam 15:22). God is good, but we must operate in faith to please Him. Make sure your works (actions, decisions, etc.) align with His word (James 2:26).