Christianity has turned into coffee shops, holey black jeans, beanies, pictures of our devotions, and captions that are sometimes more beautiful than our prayers are. This idea of “trendy” Christians has been circling the web for a while now, but what I am realizing now that those people who are longing to fit into this world of following Jesus aren’t the only ones getting it wrong. You see, those people are a mixture of “I need to prove myself” and “I need to fit in.” Those of us who see that we have graduated from that stage and have declared that all we long for is more depth. Yes, us. We are still getting it wrong.
It is us who have five John Piper books next to our bed. It is us who listens to a different podcast every day. It is us who lead a small group. It is us have friends that seek us out for Godly advice.
It is us because we let our profoundness gage our spirituality. It is us because we let our nearness to the Lord be determined by how much we know. It is us because we have gone so far from the basics. It us because we have stepped into adulthood and we have believed the devious lie that being the adult is good. Being the adult is where we should strive to get to.
Oh adults, how I wish I could address you as a child. But a child is, in fact, the farthest thing from what we are being.
Do you know how many times in scripture the Lord makes it clear that He wants us to be like a child?
I saw so clearly these past couple days that I am a pendulum when it comes to being a child. Some days I walk in freedom and giddiness, as a child should. Some days I swing the complete opposite way and want to know it all. I want to know more. There is nothing wrong with knowing more. There is nothing wrong with studying theology. There is nothing wrong with podcasts.
But there was something wrong when I was reading through Matthew 8 about the faith of the Centurion and Jesus says, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” (vs:13)
There is something wrong when I stopped and asked myself “If God gave me what I was believing for would I be proud of the extent of my belief?” There is something wrong when I decided to make a list of the things I was believing for and had to think long and hard to even come up with some.
Belief.
That is the basis of our Faith.
Maybe I am speaking just for myself. But maybe not. Maybe you too have been digging as deep as you can into the word but haven’t said the words “I believe” in a long time. Maybe you too want to discover more of who Jesus is but have strayed so far from the child-like faith. Maybe you too have a short list of what you are believing for because you haven’t realized that belief is what paves the way to everything.
Matthew 8:2
“Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
The man with leprosy believed God could heal him.
Matthew 8:26
“You of little faith, why are you so afraid.”
The Lord address their lack of belief in the middle of the storm.
Matthew 9:2
“…when Jesus saw their faith..”
The Lord addresses their belief. This was a time when the effectiveness of their faith benefitted others.
Matthew 9:22
“Take heart daughter,” He said, “your faith has healed you.”
It was her belief that brought her healing.
Matthew 9:28
“Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
The healing of the blind and mute man hinged on his belief.
In all these occasions is was their belief. It was their declarations of belief. These people were not scholars of faith and masters of scripture. These were people who saw that the first step is always the same in every circumstance, problem, or conflict: Declaring that you believe.
Oh, you who long for healing and have been searching far and wide. You need only to send up a declaration of belief. Oh, you who are blind to what your future holds and have been searching far and wide for some type of clarity. You need only to send up a declaration of belief. Oh, you who are wondering why the waves of life will not still and are terrified you are going to drown. You need only to send up a declaration of faith.
Child, it is your faith that is the most important thing to your Father. It is your belief that led you to being embraced. It is your belief that led you to love. It is your belief that led you to life and life to the fullest. Do not let the adult in you start to develop and let you think any different.
Reading scripture. Going deeper. Helping others see Him more clearly. Learning more. Theology. Commentary. Yes, they all matter.
But none of them are as important as you believing.
So I ask you.
When was the last time you told God you believed He could do something?
What are you believing for?
If He gave you what you were believing for would you have wished you believed more?
Every now and then we need to remind ourselves to go back to the basics.
Go dear one, be a child.
Go dear one, believe.
That is what the Lord wants.
