Fair-weather faith

"Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8

I was reading through Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman the other day when I read this quote by Charles Spurgeon, "Remember that we have no more faith at any time than we have in the hour of trial. All that will not bear to be tested is mere carnal confidence. Fair-weather faith is no faith at all."

There are seasons in our lives in which things are running pretty smoothly. There are no impending disasters, the kids are cooperating, our marriages are amicable, our bills are paid and we can still afford gas each week. It seems that during those times we tend to coast. We are also likely to "feel" like we're walking by faith, because frankly, nothing is challenging our faith.

Then there are seasons in which our faith may be strongly tested. It may be a time of illness, financial set back, rebellious children, disappointing relationships, or another person that won't cooperate with our agenda. It is in these seasons that we see our faith for what it really is.

I remember a woman from our Women of Character program whose husband was in the Colony of Mercy a few years back. She was so excited about what God was doing. She was confident that she was trusting in God and that her faith was solid. Then her husband came home. I remember her calling and sharing with me that she realized her faith was not in God
all that time, but rather in America's Keswick and her knowledge of where he was.

I think sometimes what we think is faith, is not faith in Christ at all but rather faith in our current circumstances or faith in our own ability to make life work.

How are you doing? Do you have fair-weather faith or does your faith hold up through the storms of life? It is the storms of life that test and strengthen our faith in the first place.

Diane