crazy faith

Hebrews 11:1-2 (NLT)

What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. God gave his approval to people in days of old because of their faith.

If you’ve never read chapter eleven in the book of Hebrews, I highly recommend it—especially if you’re running short on faith.

Merriam Webster’s Dictionary describes faith like this:

¹faith

noun \ˈfāth\

: strong belief or trust in someone or something.

I think most of us would agree that there are times when we are running low on faith. I’ve been there. Sometimes, in a hard situation the last thing I want to do is believe. 

How do you have faith when you’re walking through a furnace of fiery trials? Whether it’s losing your job, or running short on money, or being betrayed by a friend, faith is no easy thing. And maybe what makes things even more difficult is the feeling that God has let us down.

I sometimes wonder why God is so interested in faith; why He values it so much. Maybe it’s because faith is a hot commodity, and not always easy to come by. 

My favorite bible story about faith is found in Matthew Chapter Fifteen when a Gentile woman asks Jesus to heal her daughter. When she begs for help, Jesus doesn’t respond with the love and compassion we would expect. No, He ignores her. 

But this woman is not so easily deterred. In fact she begins pleading in earnest. So much so that the disciples ask Jesus to send her away. They’re very annoyed by all of her begging. 

Jesus’ response to the woman’s cry for help seems rather harsh, “I was sent only to help the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep—not the Gentiles.”

This tenacious woman does not give up. She throws herself at his feet and pleads again, “Lord, help me!” 

Once again, Jesus speaks to her, but rather than the merciful words we would expect, He uses rather severe language. In fact, He compares her to a dog, saying, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” 

Really? He’s calling her a dog? What the heck. But maybe there’s more to this story than meets the eye. Because in response to being called a dog, she replies, “Yes, Lord, but even dogs are permitted to eat crumbs that fall beneath their master’s table.”

And that’s when the truth is revealed. It turns out that Jesus wasn’t being rude, disrespectful, impolite or unmerciful. He was testing her—testing her heart to see what kind of mettle it was made of. 

In fact, Jesus seems pleased with her responses to his rebuffs, and says, “Woman your faith is great. Your request is granted.”

So why the delay in healing her daughter? Why the harsh words? It’s simple. Jesus was giving her the opportunity to show just how strong her faith was.

Are you starting to lose heart, lose faith, give up? Don’t. It might seem that Jesus is passing you by, ignoring your cries for help. But remember this. If Jesus seems to be turning his back on you, He may just be giving you the opportunity of a lifetime, too. The chance to let your faith shine for all the world to see.

 

1 John 4:9-10 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Yesterday, Katie and I got into a discussion about a little boy at school who “kept bothering,” her. We agreed that the best way to handle the situation is to walk away or find an adult who can help. 

Realizing that this was a teachable moment, I told Katie that she should pray for this little boy, because Jesus told us to pray for our enemies. Katie remained silent, but I could tell she was processing what I’d said. My hope is that a little seed of forgiveness will take root in her heart and teach her how to be a merciful person. 

Forgiveness reminds me of another “f,” word that is offensive. The above verse really touches a nerve on this whole forgiveness issue. Especially the last sentence; ¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

It reminds me of a story from the Bible when Jesus teaches a lesson on forgiveness. 

The gist of it is that a man owes a rich man a great sum of money—a sum he can never repay. So this man goes to the rich man and begs to have his debt forgiven, and because the rich man is a very benevolent person, he agrees to forgive the debt. 

Unfortunately, the man doesn’t offer the same kind of mercy that’s been extended to him. He finds a man who owes him a pittance. And because he’s missed the point of how forgiveness works, he throws the man into jail until he can pay back every penny he owes.  

When the other servants realize what this merciless man has done, they go to their master and tell him everything. In his anger, the rich man throws the man into jail until he can pay back every penny he owes. 

I think about this story a lot when I’m having trouble forgiving. The debt that I owe God for my sins is astronomical. I can never repay it. God knows this and from his benevolent heart he chooses to forgive me. If God can forgive me for every sin I’ve ever committed, who am I to hold on to an unforgiving spirit?

When I’m holding a grudge, I think about this parable and remember that Jesus has paid for each and every sin I've ever committed—even my “little” sins or my reoccurring ones. Every time I ask for forgiveness, God chooses to forgive me. Every time. 

Don’t hold grudges. Don’t hang on to anger. Unforgiveness doesn’t alter the situation—it can’t change what’s in the past. 

Remember that God loved us first, he forgave us first. Then turn around in mercy and do the same for your neighbor. It will help you let go of the past and move on in to the future. And a future free from bitterness sounds pretty good to me.