Been thinkin' bout faith. What a vague, admirable thing, right?
No. More like a choice. Just like loving your spouse is a choice. A choice with clear verbs that follow. Faith in Christ is a commitment to trust who He says He is.
With verbs that follow.
Jeff & Rhonda have faith...and so they followed.
Shane & Cassidy had faith, so they followed and adopted three children.
That God-man who came not too many generations ago described a faith that was like a mustard seed...
Tiny, but there.
It's not big, and it's not fancy. But it's there, that tiny seed, and it sprouts into something like this:
So anyway, we Christians are given these daunting commands:
"...Care for the widows and orphans..." -James 1:2
"Go into all the nations and make disciples..."
-Matthew 28:19
And we think, ummmm, maybe when I'm a super-Christian. But how much more plain can this be? I think that mediocre, boring Christians like me just make excuses why we don't want to believe and commit to directives like "care for the widows and orphans" and "go into all nations and make disciples."
Like we actually think we're doing it ourselves if we commit.
Like God won't be right there.
Adeye has four adopted girls, and has this to say about our vague and false idea of faith:
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We would be wealthy if someone paid us every time we have been told that we were “called by God” to adopt our four children who have special needs. Or for the many people who have told us that “There is no way we could do what you do.”
I disagree.
You know what that does? It diminishes God’s sovereign power to do the impossible through each one of us, His people. Comments like that tell the Father, “Sorry God, but you don’t have enough power to give me the ability to parent a child who struggles in life.” “So sorry, God. Just go and call someone else.” “Oh God, and that mission field thing? There is no way I could ever do that!”
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I disagree.
You know what that does? It diminishes God’s sovereign power to do the impossible through each one of us, His people. Comments like that tell the Father, “Sorry God, but you don’t have enough power to give me the ability to parent a child who struggles in life.” “So sorry, God. Just go and call someone else.” “Oh God, and that mission field thing? There is no way I could ever do that!”
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It's astounding to me that most Christians think that so-and-so is "called" to adopt or "called" to do missions. Clearly, we are all "called" in one way or another if we are committed to Christ.
There's an orphanage in Haiti run by Dorothy. It's pretty heart-wrenching if you look at the pics. But don't you think Dorothy gets tired, and wants some time to herself? Well you better believe that the Spirit inside her sustains her AND gives her joy!
And I'm pretty sure that neither Adeye nor Dorothy have superpowers.
Nope. They get tired. They are fragile toothpicks, but they're toothpicks STRAPPED TO A LEAD POLE (that's an Adrian DesPres quote).
With our legs crossed, we repeat in our women's bible studies and in churchy talk that "all things work together for good to those who love God (Romans 8:28)." But Dorothy and Adeye are fully aware of that purpose, I'm sure. Because they are in the game. They are living it. They aren't talking about God, they're with Him.
And they feel his friendship.
“Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness and he was called the friend of God." -James 2:23
And what about Jessi & Nick?
Taking their three babies to very-expensive, inner-city Boston just to share this news of this enigmatic, invisible God-man?
It's all true. And you either believe it, or you don't.
There are 163 million orphans in the world. Who can even digest that number? Yet, we have hope. "And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts (Rom.5:5)."
Tonight, I believe. And I will follow.
