Growing in Faith
“Who
of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this
very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” *
Growing in Faith
“Who
of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this
very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” *
Our
youngest grandson’s tennis season culminated this fall with a high school JV
tournament in which he played number three doubles with one of his teammates. We
had a wonderful day with him, picking him up from his house early enough to
enjoy the sunrise along the way, watching their matches against three other
schools and then taking him out for a late lunch afterwards. Seldom do we get
the chance to spend the whole day with him, especially since he is now in high
school. It was a treat!
Al
and I were all bundled up in the morning chill of 47 degrees! A patch of sunlight on the pavement adjacent
to Elliot’s court provided some welcomed warmth. As the first set commenced and
the score bounced from one team to the other along with the ball, I felt myself
getting nervous, wishing I could say something to help our boys gain the
advantage.
When
the coach of the other team called her players over to the fence between games,
I was upset. They seemed to be getting pointers, while Elliot and his partner
waited. “Where was their JV coach?” I wondered.
After
what seemed like a very long set, our team won. I breathed a sigh of relief,
but was also concerned that neither team acknowledged the other afterwards.
Motioning to Elliot, I reminded him to shake hands or touch rackets in a
gesture of sportsmanship; however, he shrugged his shoulders and said, “I don’t
think we do that.”
Expecting to move to another court for the
second round, I was surprised when none of the boys left the court, but took
their time drinking water and resting. After adjusting the score marker, they
changed sides and began a new set. Of course! I had forgotten that they still
had one more set to play in the match! And Elliot was right… the hand-shaking
or racket-touching came after two sets, not one.
What
a silly mistake on my part. It did make me realize however, that the boys would
do just fine without my help. I had to turn them over to the Lord and take my
rightful place as a spectator. If they won, that would be great. If they lost,
hopefully it would be a learning situation.
That
realization freed me to enjoy the rest of the day, rather than being tied up in
knots over something beyond my control. By the way, Elliot and his partner did
show great sportsmanship throughout the tournament, and ended up winning all
three of their matches! It was a happy day!
It
is normal to feel worried and anxious about things beyond our control. However,
as followers of Jesus, we are called to be people of faith, trusting in Him completely,
surrendering our lives to Him. Jesus spoke to His disciples about this issue of
worrying, reminding them that God was their Heavenly Father.
Food,
water, clothes… there were times when the disciples probably wondered where
these things would be coming from. He taught them that God would provide for their
needs, addressing them as “O you of little faith!” (Luke 12:28b NIV) The
disciples did have faith or they wouldn’t have left their families, homes, and
livelihoods to follow Him. Jesus knew that, but was calling them to have more
faith, to trust God in every situation.
On
the other hand, when a Canaanite woman came to Jesus crying out for Him to heal
her demon possessed daughter, nothing would deter her. She persisted even after
He made it clear that His ministry was to the people of Israel.
His
response? “Woman, you have great faith. Your request is granted.” (Matthew
15:28 NIV) The woman must have been overjoyed when she heard those words. Her
daughter who had suffered so horribly was healed, and their lives were changed
forever!
Great faith!
So how does one get from “little faith” to “great faith”? Faith, like a
tiny mustard seed, grows stronger when we learn to trust God with every detail
of our lives. It takes time, a lifetime, to grow. Instead of living in a state
of constant stress and worry, through faith we can experience peace and enjoy
each day to its fullest.
Faith—little, more, much, great! Let’s keep growing!
(* Luke 12:25-26 NIV)
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