Will I Try?

By Robert

These are scary times. Many are facing financial challenges. It is certainly a time for me to exercise faith as someone working in full time ministry. So what does exercising faith look like anyway?

 In 2 Peter 1:5, the Bible says to “employ every effort in exercising your faith” (AMP). If I am not careful, I can easily find myself worrying about finances and other challenges I may be facing, maybe even complaining, and not taking any action of faith. God has challenged me lately to try expressing my faith, to step out.

 James 2:14-”What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?” Vs.18-”You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

 These scriptures have something to say to us, we cannot just dismiss them. Faith, when it is real, has fruit. What effort of faith am I making in my situation? Am I standing on God’s promises daily? Am I giving out of what I have? Maybe it is a time to add fasting to my prayer.

 In the early 90′s I had a sales job that came to an end. I had to take on two jobs, working 70 hours a week to try and make ends meet and even then we were falling behind on our bills. At one point we were behind on our mortgage and almost lost our home, yet we never stopped tithing and giving offerings. Our giving had decreased because our income had decreased, but we gave what we could and God honored it. At the end of a year God started blessing us in multiple ways we could have never foreseen. We got caught up on our bills and our income increased greatly!

 As we remain in this season of financial challenges while living in this Christmas season of giving, may we put our faith to work, continuing to give what we can (even if it is just our time or talent), and exercise in word and deed our hope in the Lord.