For some reason I woke up this morning with the song "Faith" by George Michael in my head. I don't think this is a good thing by any stretch of the imagination. But, never the less, there it is, ”Cause I gotta have faith-a-faith-a-faith, Baby." I haven't heard this song in years so why it's stuck in my heard is a mystery.
I do know that I have been talking to God a lot lately. Asking him for things more than I usually do. While I'm trying not to treat him like a genie, I find my self constantly asking for safety of my family, additional income streams, and health. With the arrival of our son in December, we're suddenly thrust in the two-kid realm. I guess thrust is the wrong word, we knew it was going to happen for nine months. But still, I don't think any amount of planning prepares you for bringing life into the world.
I feel the weight of so much more responsibility now. It can be overwhelming. The biggest things on my radar right now are my kids. But for you it may be a sanctuary/auditorium overhaul. It might be trying to figure out how you're going to get enough volunteers to handle this weekend. I don't believe for a second that God is a holy slot machine, playing your odds to get prayers answered. He hears everything we ask of him. Sometimes the answer comes immediately and other times it comes I'm the form of a song, telling you that you gotta have faith.
I know the Bible says that with the faith of a mustard seed, mountains could move. I haven't moved any mountains that I know of, but I have come to conquer things I thought were mountains through Christ. However, I seem to forget that with each mountain what happened at the last one. I begin to fret and worry at what stands before me.
Last year I was blessed to get to help a church rebuild after a fire tore through their auditorium. I visited them days after it happened to hear their plans for moving forward. How God used this for good was incredibly inspiring. It is a situation I often think back on when I think I'm facing real problems, like a volunteer graphics operator canceling last minute.
Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” I am praying now that God would increase my faith. That scares me, because I know He could just snap his fingers and I miraculously have a new-found faith. But instead He is going to want to teach me -- slowly. I prefer to trust what I can see. I would not have made a great Indiana Jones when asked to step out on faith over the ravine. This vulnerability before God is hard, it takes trusting Him. As weird as it sounds, I feel I woke up this morning not singing a song in a falsetto voice, but getting an answer to my fears. God saying, "Have faith Shaun, I'm here."
Does your faith need a boost? I think working in the church sometimes keeps us from flexing the faith muscles, we take God for granted. Will you join me in praying for increased faith? (And also that this song would get out of my head?)
