Risky Faith?

Depending upon whom you talk with on a regular basis, the thoughts that you have about faith may not be any different than what you see in the picture below. Somewhere along the way, the idea of walking in faith has been associated with walking in risk. I guess that really depends upon where we get our definitions.

There's no doubt about it. If I am viewing things from the world's perspective then every act of faith takes risk.
I risk being called a fool.
I risk missing out on what I'm believing God to do.
I risk not having my needs met.
I risk putting my family into an unfavorable situation.
From the world's perspective, faith is a leap into an empty space believing that something is going to happen.

What does faith look like from God's perspective?
Matthew 21:21
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

2 Corinthians 5:7
We live by faith, not by sight.

John 14:12
I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

Another verse that talks about the power of faith is found in Romans "For the Scripture says, 'Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame'” {10:11}. I find great comfort in the fact that when we believe in Jesus for salvation that we will not but put to shame. Not only that, but when we choose to believe God in other areas of life, we will not be put to shame there either.

It seems to me that when I view faith from God's perspective that living by faith is not risky. Instead, living by faith should be the norm for every follower of Christ. I think if we can get ourselves to understand that living outside of faith requires risk, then more and more people will begin trusting in the nature of God.

As a pastor I am often confronted with the needs of people. I get asked to pray about various situations. Most of them (and I'm not belittling anyone) typically come when someone is facing a crisis. In other words, there are in a place that will require them to live by faith. The question that I have is why isn't this the norm? Should we not always live by faith? Is not faith critical to the quality of life that we enjoy? Truth be told, most people are very self-sufficient. We learn how to take care of ourselves. We work to supply our needs. We make sure there is a roof over our heads, food on the table, and clothes on our body. Whenever a situation comes up that challenges us in these areas, we are forced to look at life differently. What if we lived every day as if we were totally dependent upon God?

I have some good friends in ministry that decided they wanted to live a "Look what the Lord has done" lifestyle. They have set their hearts to trust the Lord for provision in every area of life. Where they would live, what they would drive, and how/where they would do ministry. It's been quite the journey. And while they may not have what everyone else has, they always have everything they need. They also have quite a testimony about how the Lord gave them a new car. Some may call this risky. But they have found God to be faithful.

In the past I have tried to encourage people by saying that when they are facing difficulty that they get to watch God show off. I'm not trying to trivialize what they are going through by any means. I'm simply reminding them that they get to see God work His nature in and through their lives. He is the One who revealed Himself as the Lord Who Provides. He is the One who chose to reveal Himself as the Lord Who Is Present. If I was in a position of having to trust in something other than Him then I would be worried. However, because I know the Lord is faithful and I know that He cares for His children, I am assured of His faithfulness.

One of my favorite quotes from the Psalms says " I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or His children begging for bread" {37:25}. This is the testimony of the Lord. Jesus assured His followers that seeking first the Kingdom of God would not mean they would lack for what they needed. In fact, He made sure that they understood that ALL of those things would be taken care of. The question then becomes who are you going to believe? Are you going to believe the world that says faith is risky business. Or are you going to believe God who says that you can trust Him?

Here's an option for you:
STOP TAKING RISKS AND START TRUSTING GOD!!!