Faith in Action

This morning, I drove over several bridges on my way to the church office. As I was driving over the final bridge of my commute, the Lake Lewisville Toll Bridge, I happened to be listening to a podcast about bridges on a show called, Stuff You Should Know. They were discussing the wonder of bridges and about how much faith we put into these structures. I had never put much thought into how much faith I put into these structures. I just cross them.

Think about this. You are crossing over the Lake Lewisville Bridge in a vehicle with weight of on average 4,000 lbs., while traveling at least 50 mph. Surrounding you are motorists traveling at similar high speeds with equally if not heavier vehicles. Below you is a lake with a max depth of about 60 feet. This bridge was built by the lowest bidder to cross a 1.7 mile span of the lake at nearly 100 feet in the air. Every time you cross that bridge it is an act of faith. You have faith that engineers designed the bridge to withstand the forces of compression, tension, weather, and regular use/abuse. You have faith that the builders used quality materials and built the bridge to the best of their ability. You have faith that the other drivers around you will drive responsibly and safely as you cross the bridge. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. You put faith into action when you cross a bridge. Why then is it so difficult for us to put faith into action when it comes to things of God?

Recall the story of Jesus walking on water in the gospels (read it here in the gospel of Matthew). While in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, the disciples awake to find Jesus walking on the water. In a moment of courage Peter says to Jesus, “Lord, if it is really you, tell me to come to you on the water.” Peter begins to walk on the water towards Jesus, but then when he begins to notice his surroundings he sinks. Jesus responds to Peter’s failed action by saying, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

How is it so easy for us to have faith in a bridge built by man, but not in God? I believe it comes down to something I call, “continued action”. “Continued actions” are the things we do because: 1) others have done it before, 2) we have done it before, and 3) we know we can/will do it again. “Continued actions” take place every day. These actions remain in existence or part of our daily lives because we have found no need to question them. Driving across a bridge, traveling on the freeway, putting our money in a bank, and even eating the food served to us in a restaurant are examples of “continued actions”. We will continue to do these things without question until we experience a failure. So then I ask why hasn’t putting your faith in God become a “continued action”? Has God failed you somehow?

I don’t think God has failed us, but like Peter we fail to maintain a continuous connection with God. If we were to consistently put our faith into action I believe we would see works of piety and mercy become a daily occurrence of our lives, a “continued action”. To be faithful is to be full of faith and always acting in such a manner. Join us this coming Sunday, March 14th, as we discuss how God wants to restore within us faithful hearts ready to put faith into action.

In God’s grip,

Pastor Chuck Church