August 25, 2019
Friends in Christ,
What it means to live by faith. I think living by faith is a combination of growing in your relationship with God in Jesus Christ and putting your faith into action. I think one component of faith is trusting God which means trusting in God’s promises found in scripture. Faith is trusting in God’s promises even if all you can do is plant a seed of faith or ministry and wait for someone else to nurture the plant to maturity.
Another component of living by faith is seeing the sacred in each person. You do not have to agree with a person’s lifestyle, choices or politics to see that person as sacred and worthy of love. Another component is acting in faith. Jesus was very clear that faith is an action word. So, go out and get involved with your neighbors – get involved with a food bank, a homeless shelter, a soup kitchen, a community center, senior center, animal shelter, Habitat for Humanity, CROP Walk, Emmaus Walk, Church Women United, scouting, a local school, the local hospital, the list is almost endless.
It can be difficult to live by faith when you or a loved one are dealing with cancer or a another serious health problem, when we have a family member or friend struggling with an addiction, when there is not enough money each month to pay the rent and buy food, when families are separated at our border and children are living in cages because they are seeking refuge and safety, when people are judged by who their spouse is rather than how they live their faith, when there is yet another mass shooting in this nation and we will still not talk seriously about gun control, when there is more talk of hate than love in our nation, when we do not see the sacred in each other.
Then every once in a while, something positive happens, something special that restores our faith, strengthens our hearts, gives us hope and reminds us why we believe and trust in God in Jesus Christ. Our faith gives us the assurance that God has our best interest at heart, knows what we hope for and holds our future. Let’s continue to pray for the victims, shooters, injured, families and by-standers involved in violent incidents in our nation but let’s also live by faith putting our faith into action every day.
Blessings on the journey,