Exercise Your Faith

 
“Without faith it is impossible to please God” the author of Hebrews tells us (11:6), so yes, exercising faith is extremely important.

Some of you have known the Lord for many years, whereas, some of you haven’t been followers of Christ for long. Do you remember when you first trusted Christ as Savior and Lord? I understand it can be hard to remember something that happened a long time ago…but try to remember that day. Do you recall feeling that now everything was going to be okay? Do you remember a feeling of peace, of hope, or of joy?

For those of you who have known Christ for many years now you certainly realize that faithfully following Christ requires a lot of hard work on your part. Maybe you have discovered like me that in order to be healthy, your spiritual life in Christ needs constant attention.

Let me add to this that if you are struggling spiritually, if you find it difficult to put God first and consistently put His Word into practice in your life you are not alone. If you struggle to have the right thoughts you are not alone. If you often can’t help but complain about your life and the people around you then you aren't alone. And, if you are struggling in any of these ways then maybe you are beginning to discover that there is some work that needs to be done. Maybe you too are realizing that your spiritual life needs constant attention. In other words, we need God’s help every day to live up to God’s standards for our lives.

I love the plants and flowers that are in my flower beds and flower pots around the outside of my house. There is something about their beauty that gives me a feeling of peace and reminds me of the presence of God, the Creator of all beauty. But right now, most of my flower beds are in disarray.

Right now plants, trees, and flowers need to be trimmed/pruned and flower beds need to be weeded and cleaned up. The beauty isn't really there right now…there is too much clutter…too many distractions…why is that? Because if there is no gardener, then there is no garden. Since I am the gardener I have to find the time to get in there and do the work that will create the beauty that is desired.

There is no way around the need here. There are no labor-saving devices that will fix my flower beds and there are no labor-saving devices that will grow a garden of spiritual virtue in us as well. Becoming a person who reflects the light and love of God is work of God in us, but don’t miss the reality that it is “work.” Becoming a person who is full of spiritual fruitfulness requires attention and time…mostly time spent with Jesus.
When God saves you He calls you to a life of obedience. Just as a garden will not take care of itself, your spiritual relationship with God will not take care of itself either. If you’re going to be a fruitful Christian then you need to put forth some effort by living in obedience to God’s Word.

Our faith is the means through which we connect with God every single day. Our faith in God is what grants us access to His promises. Our faith in God is what helps sustain us through the trials and tribulations of life. Our faith also makes us a reliable instrument to be used by our great God.

Do you want to be used by God? Do you want to experience the “abundant life” that Jesus offers to His followers? If you say yes, then it’s time to exercise your faith…to put on your gardening gloves, set aside time and get in the Word and listen to the Lord’s instruction for you. The results will be beautiful.