PUTTING FEET TO OUR FAITH

                When I was in high school I subscribed to a skiing magazine. I enjoyed reading about all of the amazing ski slopes like Vale and Aspen and Giant’s Ridge. I read about the latest equipment and the newest technology. I dreamed about taking a trip out west to go shushing down an enormous slope covered in powder snow. There were only two things that stood in my way. First, I had never really skied. I had tried it once with a school group and it was a disaster. Second, I lived a very long way away from any real ski slopes. I always told myself; someday I will be a skier. I had to wait a long time for my dream to become a reality. As a young adult in seminary, I was able to take a trip with some friends to Big Sky, Montana, and ski some awesome slopes with real powder.

                Sometimes our faith is like my fascination with skiing. We study about it, we dream about it, but we don’t live it. Our faith can become more of an intellectual pursuit than a physical reality. We can spend all of our life dreaming about someday in the future when we are going to really do something for God.

                The Bible warns us about developing a faith that is all talk and no action. This was Jesus’ major complaint against the religious leaders of His day. "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” Matthew 15:8 (NIV) In another place, Jesus chided those who verbally expressed their commitment to Jesus, and yet didn’t act on it. "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."  Luke 6:46-49 (NIV)

                If we are going to be serious about our faith in Christ, we need to put feet to our faith. When Jesus told his disciples to come and follow me, he literally meant it. Near the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus made it very clear that he expected action and not just rhetoric. "If you love me, you will obey what I command.” John 14:15 (NIV)

                The Apostle Paul was an activist. He loved a good debate, and could hold his own with the best of them. But, he was committed to living out his faith in his day-today life. Paul was quick to call people to action. When he wrote to the church at Philippi, he instructed them to do what he had done. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:9 (NIV) He told the church in Corinth to “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV) Paul challenged his young disciple Timothy to not hold back in living out his faith. I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:5-7 (NIV)

                There are many practical ways that we can put feet to our faith. Here are just a few foundational examples.

- Align your lifestyle with your values. Too often we separate our faith from our everyday lives. We espouse one thing on Sunday morning and operate in a different way on Monday morning. If our faith is going to have feet, then it must influence everything that we do.

                Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)

- Demonstrate Christ’s love to others in practical ways. Too often Christians are accused of being all talk and no action. We speak of love for others, but fail to get our hands dirty. John challenges us to let our actions speak louder than our words.

                This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:16-18 (NIV)

- Put Kingdom values above earthly concerns. Let’s face reality; life can be hard. We can become discouraged by the trials and tribulations that we face. When we see people who live as if God doesn’t exist prospering, while we are struggling, we begin to wonder if it is all worth it. But keep in mind our rewards are not temporary, but eternal. Our joy and happiness in life is in direct proportion to what we focus upon as of greatest value. If we focus on the things of this world, we will be constantly discouraged. If we focus on the things of God, we will transcend the challenges of life.

                But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

                Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:7-12, 16-18 (NIV)

                The Apostle Paul was great at using vivid imagery to convey spiritual truth. He often dipped into the world of sports to capture the attention of his audience. Being a runner myself, I appreciate his athletic analogies. So I leave you with his words of encouragement and challenge us as we all work to put feet to our faith.

                Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV)