(Further reflections on “Asking In Faith”—Sunday 30-Jan-2022)
If waves are driven by the wind, then doubters are driven and tossed by their ‘half-baked’ faith. These folks read the Word of God, believe some and disbelieve some. They trust partially and trust themselves partially. They tend to leave their options opened. Perhaps, they are somewhat afraid that if they fully put their trust to the Lord, then what if He doesn’t act according to their expectations (which oftentimes are demands). So they would rather be a person in control than be controlled as they tend to think/act/behave in double mindedness, which they are likely not aware of due to various factors, i.e. having past trauma or bad experiences or issues with truth or simply being naive. In short, uncommitted people are usually double-minded folks. They asked God but not in faith. They prayed but not in faith. Though they sought godly counsel, they did not surrender to God and act in faith. They went to church at their convenience. They went to work with grinding effort and not seeing their vocation/profession as channels of serving God. They existed at the work place, at home, and at church, and not really lived out their faith in those places. They tended to blame circumstances. This therefore, it is almost impossible for them to count/consider/lead trials of various kinds all joy, because they did not quite fully believe in God’s word. Though they desired God’s blessing, they wanted to see it first before making any commitment. In doing so, little did they know (or how foolish they were) that they acted in double-mindedness. As a result, they will receive nothing from the Lord even though they might have received a lot of things from the world. They might be street-smart and cunning in their business dealings but very lacking in God’s wisdom in dealing with relationships (e.g. family, loved ones) in a godly and wise way.
On the contrary, believers are not driven by (cultural/political/racial/social) wind(s), but led by the Word of God. They are not easily manipulated by the waves (pressure/pull/push) of the world. They are like a house built on the rock. They wholeheartedly believe the Word, ask and act in faith. They commit to do God’s Word before even seeing any visible/tangible result. This is the essence of faith. This is the essence of worship. This is the essence of the process of gaining wisdom from on high. May this be the reality of every serious follower of Jesus Christ. May this be you (yes, you).
May we plead God in faith on this together.
—
Pastor Lap
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