I have a good friend, Brandon Morrow, who was a student of mine at Sterling College and is now enjoying his first ministry position. We engaged in a good conversation about faith and action via text. I asked Brandon to write about it, here is his post.
You can find Brandon at his blog: http://2morrowblog.com
Twitter: @MorrowCCC
Thanks Brandon!
This idea of a blog post started from a texting conversation that I had with a fellow minister, friend and mentor. This was my text to him:
I’m beginning to think that there’s a lack of people who believe in action. Sad to say, but it seems a lot of things don’t happen for fear of God not providing. #thoughtoftheday
I see a lot of this. A lot. That is probably a complete under-exaggeration to how frequently I see people who don’t believe in action anymore. — You see, most of my friends and my social network, but not all, exist around people who have committed their lives to vocational Christian ministry. So you could guess that a majority of them are pastors, elders, missionaries, and church members. Much like the last sentence of the text message quote: Sad to say, but it seems like most of my observations come from these very same people.
That last thought may have left you on an odd note, it seems contradictory of a proposed Christian faith and practice… Right? I mean, right? Aren’t Christians supposed to fulfill the Great Commandment and the Great Commission? Is it wrong of me to provoke an attitude, by no means is it new, of actually being about it and not just talking about it? Shouldn’t our actions be so loud others can’t hear what we say? — I think you get the point.
I’ve looked high and low for a potential answer to this, but I can only see it as that people doubt or have a fear that God won’t provide. Where does this notion come from? I actually come from a business background, at least that’s where my education first started, where it’s estimated that a lot of entrepreneurship, action, doesn’t happen and will never exist because people don’t think they have a good idea, or they’re afraid of risk. Now, I want to compare this to a Christian context: I don’t want to profess Christ as King because I’m afraid of rejection. or I’ve got a potentially successful business plan to start a missions organization, but I don’t know where the funding will come from. I think the last option was more agreeable to my previous business hat.
Even though the two options were far from being the same, they’re birthed by the same thing: fear. Why wouldn’t God provide for you? As Christians, we should know and see that scripture outlines some really great coatracks to hang up our doubt and fear. My favorite would have to be in Joshua where God commissions him (Joshua) to deliver exiled Israel and three times God leaves a command to be strong and courageous. Easy enough, right?
Hang your doubts and fears up to dry because there’s no place for those in a Christian worldview where a believer is strong: when they prevail because they’ve leaned on their Father, just as the Israelites did for 40 years; courageous: unwavering in God’s task for them; and when they Know God: like Joshua, when we have a deep and intimate relationship with God, we won’t have to doubt His provision.
I leave myself with the final thoughts: Why aren’t we a body of action? What is there to be afraid of?
Joe Skillen 