KAYDENE GREEN / JUNE 18, 2023
“Regarding the debate about faith and works: it’s like asking which blade in a pair of scissors is most important”
– C.S. Lewis
A mother and her three children were in a room in their home getting ready to play their version of a game of dodgeball. This was the very first time the family of four chose to play the game as part of their family’s game night tradition.
The goal of dodgeball, to put it simply, is to avoid getting hit by the ball at all costs in order to win. If you’re from the Caribbean, this may sound a lot like a game of “sighting“.
Before they began the game, they studied the room and noticed the only item present was a beanbag; a soft cushion-filled sac perfect for sitting and relaxing on.
After studying the room, they began the game and as the mother of three was getting ready to throw the ball at one of her sons, she noticed he ran over to the beanbag, held it up infront of him, and blocked himself from getting hit with the ball.
Photo by Vlad Cheu021ban on Pexels.com
Just a few minutes prior, the beanbag was only just an item to sit on. By putting it to work in a way least expected, it transformed into an effective shield that eventually led to the son’s victory in the game.
With a proud smile on the mom’s face, it dawned on her that her son’s innovative use of the beanbag was a subliminal message of how faith works.
Her son believed the cushion-filled sac could be a shield, but had he not picked it up and held it against him to block the ball, it would have done nothing for his victory in the game.
What is Faith And Is It Necessary?
Photo by Gelgas Airlangga on Pexels.com
Faith is a powerful force that can guide us through life’s challenges. Whether it’s through religious beliefs or a strong sense of conviction in ourselves and our abilities, faith can give us the strength to persevere and overcome obstacles.
Faith can also provide us with a sense of comfort and peace during difficult times. Whatever your beliefs may be, having faith can be an invaluable tool for navigating the ups and downs of life.
Faith gives a person strength to persevere through challenging situations and to make difficult decisions that only you may understand. It involves allowing yourself to be vulnerable, taking risks, and trusting that things will work out in the end.
By developing your faith muscle, you open yourself up to amazing opportunities and possibilities. You begin to see the world differently – through a lens of hope, optimism, and love.
Like the son in the story, his faith in the beanbag came to life the moment he picked up the beanbag and allowed it to work on his behalf.
Faith Is Activated With Action
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
“It is not enough to simply have faith; it must also be put into practice.”
This concept gets dicey for many believers who are under the impression that Godly faith means doing nothing and indefinitely waiting on the Lord to drop a miracle in their lap.
When I think of Godly faith, I am reminded of James 2:26 – “Just as the body is dead without breath, so also is faith without good works.”
The context of this verse is a directive to spread the love of God in tangible ways through acts of service or charity and not just with lip service.
Merely telling someone in need that God will provide, when in actuality the provision is in your hands, is the “dead faith” the passage was referring to.
The notion that faith without works is dead is evident in our every day lives, even more so than we realize.
If you ask me, faith without works is actually fear; the fear to try and the absence of faith in oneself and in God to “order your steps.”
Let’s look at a few examples:
A coach for a football team may have faith in the team taking home the championship but with no training, what chance of success does that team have?
I may have faith that I will land my dream job someday, but I’d never have a shot at getting that job if I never put the effort in to apply for it.
Unless I take my car to the gas station and add fuel to the tank, my faith that it can take me from point A to point B would just be a thought.
Sometimes faith means walking away from someone or something that serves you no good, not knowing what the future may hold.
And in the early dodgeball story, the boy’s faith in the beanbag becoming a shield was activated in his decision to pick that beanbag up and use it to block the attacks coming his way.
I know… faith may not always look like this.
Sometimes faith means doing all you can, with all you’ve been given and seeing no results but still trusting that somehow, someway, things will work out for the better.
Even in this seemingly dormant posture, the trusting and the casting aside of doubts and fear is faith in action.
Faith is good all by itself, but is dormant without fuel, and fuel is the actions you decide to take.
If you have faith that God only wants what is best for you, then you can trust Him to direct the steps you’ve decided to take. Your flawed judgement may lead you to take the wrong step, but faith will get you back on track.
Faith without works is fear, so pray and take that first step.
What steps do you need to take today to put your faith to work?
What To Do When Your Faith Is Dwindling Away?
Photo by Tara Winstead on Pexels.com
It can be hard to have that same energy and optimism you had at the beginning of any journey. Action after action, faith upon faith, and things only seem to get worst.
I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the movie “The Pursuit of Happiness“ starring Will and Jaden Smith. If you decide to watch this movie, get your tissues for the end… well if you’re anything like me and the emotional wreck I can be with inspiring movies, you may need it.
The movie is based on the true story of a man named Christopher Gardner and his determination to overcome what appears to be a snowball of struggles.
He went from being broke and homeless to financially secure. It helped that Chris’ motivation was his son, and no matter how hard it got, he never lost faith in his ability to overcome and succeed.
If you are feeling helpless and are almost at the end of the rope of holding on, not only do I recommend that you devote some time to prayer (if you are so inclined) or seek help, but I also highly recommend that you see this movie.
A Man Named Abraham
Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com
Abraham was known as the father of faith.
Abraham received a promise that he would become the father of many nations. He and his wife Sarah, were promised a son. Sarah laughed at this.
Why did she find it funny? A lack of faith perhaps.
The promise came at a time in their lives when they were not (naturally) biologically capable to bare children. Both Abraham and Sarah were very old.
Despite that, Abraham trusted God would be true to His word and continued to walk faithfully despite the number of years that were passing by with no sign of the promise being fulfilled.
God eventually fulfilled His promise to Abraham and blessed him with a son, Isaac. Not long after finally becoming a father, God requested that the same son Abraham had been waiting for decades to receive, was to be taken up as a sacrifice to God.
Wait what?
So having read the series of events that happened on Abraham’s journey up to the mountain to offer the sacrifice to God, from face value I thought to myself, Abraham lied his way through the entire process.
No one could understand why there were no animals in his possession for the sacrifice which was typically the norm as God never asked for human sacrifices.
Abraham was not telling anyone he was on his way to put his son Isaac on that altar as the sacrifice. I can’t imagine what Sarah would have thought or done if she knew what Abraham was about to do.
This is a good example also that not everyone will accept or understand your faith moves.
Every time they asked Abraham where this offering was, he kept saying God will provide, when in reality, he was about to offer his son up as a living sacrifice.
How heartless of God to be asking the man to sacrifice the son he waited on receiving for so many years.
I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know that I could have ever done what Abraham did or would even attempt to. Full disclosure, to me, that directive would have made absolutely no sense.
Until a new perspective was immersed during a devotional, I was reading one day.
The author’s perspective was that Abraham trusted in the promises he had gotten and believed even if he had to really sacrifice his son for the sake of total submission and obedience to God, he had faith that the story was not going to end there.
When Abraham kept saying, “God will provide the sacrifice“, He actually believed that there was more to the story but he would have never found out had he not taken the controversial steps he did.
Photo by Moaz Tobok on Pexels.com
Abraham’s faith was literally one for the books. Some may say extremely unrealistic and risky, but the takeaway is arguably invaluable.
Thankfully, Abraham did not have to harm Isaac, and a lamb was provided at the very last minute.
Talk about a test of faith.
A Little Faith… That’s All You Need
Photo by Aaron Burden on Pexels.com
Having faith is not an easy journey.
Remember, faith is the substance of things hoped for. It’s what keeps us going when the going gets tough.
Faith is like a muscle that is built when pressure is applied .
Whatever you’re facing today friend, just know that the amount of faith you’ll need to overcome, is no greater than the size of a mustard seed. It’s the size that’s big enough to move mountains.
If you’d like to add your perspective on this topic, please leave a comment or feedback below.
Don’t forget to subscribe to be the first to know when new content is added. Your support encourages me to share more of the enlightening perspectives I’ve received on my journey of life.
Thank you for reading. Until next time… may your faith be greater than all your fears.
Take care.
Last updated: July 21, 2023
Kaydene's Backpack 
Leave a comment