Dormant Faith

  

Greetings Dear Reader,

Someone I spoke with recently reflected that he believes in God, the Bible, and that his faith is in Christ alone.  He went on to say that these things do not figure into his day to day life so much.  He pointed out that it is important to keep “all that stuff out of his work because it causes problems.”  He went to say that it also interferes with his “leisure activities.”

I pondered what my life would be like if I left my faith out of my work and my leisure.  I would be harsh and overbearing at work.  I would put my own interests over that of my students and colleagues.  There would be no mercy or grace in the way in which I dealt with others.  There would be no humility or integrity in my approach to things. 

If I left Christ out of my leisure activities I would pursue only that which sated my own desires.  Knowing my heritage, that would be a very bad choice.  I would most likely be dead or in prison.  I would have caused great damage to many because without my faith I am a horrid man.

This individual to whom I spoke then counseled me to leave my faith out of my day to day things and save it for Sunday at church.  He said life would be easier and more fun.  Had my faith not been a well exercised muscle I might have seen this as good counsel.  Instead the alarms rang loud and clear that this man was not merely in a poor place spiritually but that he was also leading others into his complacent cancer.

The following of Christ knows no dormancy.  It is a constant act of following.  I cannot take a vacation from God any more than I can take one from the beating of my own heart.  When I spend even a few moments indulging my own wants over what is right or holy it leaves me gasping internally for peace.

A dormant faith is really just another form of death.  It is a slow and painful death of all that tethers us to hope and safety.  Worse still is that it atrophies very quickly when not exercised.  Faith must be engaged daily to keep its power.  Fortunately it takes very little faith to return to the sustenance it offers. 

I spoke kindly to this individual of the error in his thinking and he merely scoffed.  My hope is that I can be there for him when he realizes that the things on which he gorges himself will never satisfy.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Homo proponit, sed Deus disponi.