By faith

"But I still have to..."  Many times when I am trying to encourage someone in their faith, in believing God in their situation, they get frustrated and say, "I do have faith, but I still have to...care for my parents, live with my husband/wife,  discipline my children, do my job, or forgive."  In many ways the "but I still have to's" negate faith.  Whenever we say, I believe...but... we don't really believe wholeheartedly.  

It's interesting that we speak of our walk of faith as a walk, not a sit or stand. "...for we walk by faith, not by sight" 2 Corinthians 5:7. "If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit" Galatians 5:25. Faith is active. Faith results in action.  To simply believe without acting upon that belief is not belief at all but unbelief.  "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead" James 2:17. James the Just, brother of Jesus, wrote, "Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works" James 2:21-22.

To drive home this point let's take a brief survey of Hebrews 11:

By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice... vs. 4

By faith Noah...constructed an ark... vs. 7

By faith Abraham obeyed ...and he went out, not knowing where he was going... vs. 8

By faith Abraham went to live in the land of promise...living in tents... vs. 9

By faith Abraham ...offered up Isaac... vs. 17

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau... vs. 20

By faith Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph... vs. 21

By faith Joseph gave directions for his bones to be taken when the Israelites were set free from Egyptian bondage. vs. 22

By faith Moses' parents hid him for 3 months from the King's men...vs. 23

By faith Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter...vs.24

By faith Moses kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood...vs. 28

By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land... vs. 29

By faith Rahab offered shelter to the spies...vs. 31

The Scriptures contain many, many more examples of active faith. "For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets-who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight" Hebrews 11:32-34.

Inspired by those who have gone before us, both living and dead, let us step out in faith to live in such a way that portrays our faith by our actions. Action is the natural overflow of a heart of faith. So while we are forgiving, raising children, living with difficult spouses or children, and working for demanding bosses, let us faithfully walk, all the while, trusting and believing God is moment-by-moment fulfilling His promises in our lives.  

Diane