i'm third

A while back I posted about my own struggle to live out my faith. I'm struck every time I read Jesus' words in Matthew 6...

Matt. 6.25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
I came across these words again in my reading this week following Pastor Tim's message on Sunday where the Lord challenged me again with this issue of my faith. (I was so caught up in what the Lord was telling me I genuinely almost forgot to get up after the message and share the Ministry Updates!) If you haven't heard the message from Sunday, go download it form the Grace website and give a listen.

Tim preached on Matthew 17:14-27--the scenes that follow the Transfiguration of Christ. There is too much for me to blog all that God is teaching me from this text, but here's a few disjointed thoughts going through my mind this week:

• Jesus again uses the term "littlefaith" here (one word in Greek--see also Matt. 8:26; 16:8). Tim highlighted that Jesus isn't rebuking the disciples for the quantity of their faith--he tells us clearly in the same verse, "if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” Mustard seed faith is tiny in terms of quantity. Jesus is addressing the quality of their faith. In light of Matt 10:1 Tim drew out the principle that "What Jesus calls us to do, He will give us the power to do, in response to our faith." It's that last bit of the statement that I am so challenged about. He has given us a conduit, through which, to receive His power--trust, dependence and reliance upon Him.
• To rehash the notes, "Living by faith involves ASKING, ACTING and ACCEPTING." While I have things to learn at each point, it's the acting that has my attention right now. I have seen faith as very passive at times in my Christian journey. Right now I see it as much more demanding and vigorous however. Tim used the analogy of running, but I'm going to default to cycling. I was reduced on the road recently by the force of the wind against me. I felt slow, bummed out and like I wanted to quit. The reality is that my legs were getting strengthened with every turn of the pedals. When we submit ourselves to the Lord and seek Him and trust Him in the midst of difficulties--or even in the midst of great circumstances--and we trust Him, our faith is strengthened. But we must use it otherwise it will atrophy like our muscles. We must take action and put ourselves out there to exercise our faith--in ways that are big and small.
• Finally, looking at 24-27 I was again knocked on my backside by Jesus' example of humility. Tim makes this comment periodically that bugs me to my core, "We're free to give up our rights." He asks, "What are you clinging to?" Nothing. Just my 'right' to a comfortable life, in a nice house with nice cars, plenty of sending money so I can buy what I want when I want it. All I want to hold on to is my 'right' to be liked, respected, seen as spiritual, wise and discerning. Oh yeah, one last tiny little thing, I mean, I do deserve to be able to make a major worldwide impact that will go down in history for the sake of Jesus right? I mean that's why I'm here right? OK, hopefully the megalomaniac in all of you can relate to what I'm saying, otherwise I'm serious trouble! "When we known we're God's sons, we're free to give up our rights." Jesus gave up His rights (and they were real not imagined like mine and yours). Why? He knew whose Son He is. I need to remain grounded in whose son I am.
  

i know i'm not, But i know I AM.

- Lou Giglio