The Gift of Faith
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13
Thousands of books have been written about this topic. Exactly what is it? You can’t buy it, borrow it or put it in a box and keep it. Of all the gifts, I find this one the most difficult to explain—but I am going to try.
On a winter’s night over 2000 years ago, the cries of an infant filled the otherwise peaceful night. Angels appeared to a random group of shepherds and sang about the birth of this special little boy. The sky lit up brighter than the 4th of July, but strangely they were the only ones to see this glorious announcement. They left their flock unattended and hurried toward the bright star. What prompted them to go? In that moment, I believe that faith was gifted to them. A heavenly host said it so it had to be true. Right?
They were so excited that they could not keep quiet. They shared what they had heard and seen. Here is where it gets tricky. Some listened to what these men from the backfields proclaimed while others laughed and mocked them. Have you ever wondered what happened to the shepherds? Did they ever meet up again with Jesus, the man? What did they tell their children and grandchildren?
Faith is a gift! God gives it as we experience life including: walking through fires, climbing mountains, singing in the rain, dancing without a partner, dancing with a beloved partner, feeling the sun on our face and enjoying the view from the top of the mountain. When God plants that tiny seed in our hearts, He also makes sure someone will come along to care for it until we are strong enough to do it on our own (with His help, of course).
Growth is part of the faith process. The more grateful we are, the more effective our faith becomes. When we are faithful, nothing can stand in our way. Life may not go as we think it should but we have faith from believing God’s Word. We have faith from seeing Him move our mountains. We have faith that He is still in control of what He created.
We are all on this spiritual journey but it started long before that starry night in Bethlehem. They shared their story! Your story needs to be told. Be strong and have faith that someone will listen.