by Daniel Bramlett
Faith has never been a one-time event. If it were an award, it wouldn’t be for any single act. It would be more like a lifetime award. When I talk to people about their relationship with the Lord, I want to hear them describe some kind of daily routine; a daily surrender that is taking place in their lives. If Jesus is Lord of your life, the way your life is ordered will look more and more like Him. You can’t avoid this. We all know hardheaded people. If they know Jesus, it will just take a little longer for them to look like Him! But we also know hard-hearted people. These are the ones who keep Jesus and His work at a distance. When we visit about the Lord, I want to know if you have a hard heart or just a hard head.
When is the last time you responded to conviction? That is, when is the last time Jesus spoke to you about your sin? Did you confess it or ignore the prompting? When is the last time you chose to set your needs or desires aside to serve someone else? What does your prayer life look like? Is it haphazard and occasional or regular; is it more talking or listening? When you read the Word, are you thinking about something else or is your heart and head involved in the reading? When was the last time you talked to someone about your faith? Do you have any lost friends that you are praying for and looking for an opportunity to share with? Is your money available for God to use, or do you hold it pretty tightly to your chest?
How much do you love Jesus? Just about all of us respond to that last question with an “all in” answer! But our daily lives tell the real story. The above questions are just prompts. They are designed to get you thinking about the commitment you’ve made to walk with Jesus; the life He is living in you through His Spirit. When you think about your life, does it belong to Jesus all the time or just on Sundays? These are questions for the hardheaded and hard-hearted. All of us need to be asked questions like these! I can tell you this, if I miss a day in the Word and prayer, I feel like I’m lost; like I’ve lost a year of faithfulness and fruit. One day and it’s gone! How about you?
The truth is God has designed us to need Him. When we admit that we can’t do life all by ourselves, that we are broken and don’t have it in us to fix ourselves, then He can begin to work. But He will not force Himself on us. If we ask Him to begin to work in us and choose to daily submit to Him, the results are extraordinary. But if we resist Him, even in little things, He will hold off until we are ready. The most seasoned believer can step aside from the Spirit of the Lord and quickly experience his spirit drying up. Our life, every good thing, comes from our faithful Father who loves us. Will we let Him do His work in us?
One Psalm most people turn to is 46. We love the admonition to be still and know that God is God. But do you remember its beginning? The Psalmist says God as our refuge and our strength. This is where the words appear: “a very present help in times of trouble.” We love that! As a way to illustrate God’s strength and ability, the Psalmist depicts the chaos of the earth. Some of his descriptions sound like Revelation: “the earth gives way, the mountains tremble and move into the sea…” But in the very middle of this Psalm we hear the words, “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God.” I am here to remind you today, if you do not drink regularly from that river, you will not last. You can quote “be still” all you want, but if you aren’t practicing that stillness, you will be the one to tremble and fall into the sea.
When it’s all said and done, the Lord will require an answer from you. What did you do with this life? Where did you spend its minutes and hours and days? Was your faith just a bunch of words or was it acted on? Did you drink from the river of God or did you find another source?
At the end of my life, I pray you can look back and say that my faith shaped every part of it. It’s ok to ask me questions that push and challenge me. That’s how I get better. Can I ask you the same questions? Do you want anyone to look into your heart? Is it safe for me to look behind the cover of your mind, into your dark corners and deep secrets? If you don’t have anything to hide, it is probably because Jesus has already revealed it all. If you recoil at questions like these, there’s a good chance you need to hear and answer them.
Faith is not something for the shelf or the award cabinet. It’s not an iron-on star or a plaque we display. It is our life! It’s vibrant, ongoing and a daily part of our decision-making process. Either it is something you know and enjoy or not. If not, I pray these questions and others like them will lead you to a place of surrender. Jesus is big enough and good enough to take our hard hearts and give us a brand new one that beats for Him.