Don't let faith blow around like a cap in wind

By now, you

probably don’t remember those very windy days on March 23 and 24, especially because it’s been pretty windy since then. Our grandson was out playing after school on March 23 and his cap blew off. He gave chase until he lost sight of it. We hoped it got caught in a woven-wire fence about 500 feet away, but he walked that fence line and it wasn’t there. On March 24, the wind was even stronger and from the opposite direction. When I went out on the morning of March 25, the cap was back in our yard. This incident brought a few things to mind about our Christian life.

First, God sends his word out and it returns to him having accomplished his purpose (Isaiah 55:10-11). In Old Testament times, his word came through his prophets. To establish the New Covenant, Jesus was sent as the Word made flesh to dwell among men bringing grace and truth and providing the way for men to find their way back into a right relationship with God (Hebrews 1:1-3; John 1:1-2, 14, 17; 10:10; Acts 17:26-27). God’s Word has been sent and has returned to him exactly as he said it would (John 17:1-5; Acts 1:1-11).

To receive the everlasting, abundant life Jesus gives, a belief is necessary that leads to active obedience (John 14:15-21; Acts 26:19-20; 19:1-5; 2:38-39; 22:16; Romans 10:8-17; 6:3-7, 17-18). We shouldn’t even consider ourselves saved if we don’t do what Jesus said, either while he was on earth or through his inspired writers after he returned to God (John 14:25-26; 12:47-50; Luke 6:46; Matthew 7:21-27).

Second, many teachings today seem based in scripture, but they’re actually contradictory to scripture (2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 2 Timothy 4:1-4; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11). These can blow us about like a cap in the wind if we don’t follow the Word and do what he says (Ephesians 2:11-16; 5:8-17).

Finally, as God sent the Word to accomplish his will for our good, Christians also are to spread our goodwill to all people to draw them to God, whether or not we know the outcome of our efforts (Luke 2:10-14; Galatians 6:7-10; Ecclesiastes 11:1-6; Proverbs 11:24; Luke 16:9; 1 Corinthians 3:5-9; James 4:17). We’re not to let threats such as high wind or heavy rain or drought or the lion prowling in the street (Satan) keep us from doing the work God has set before us (Proverbs 26:13; 28:1; Philippians 2:12-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 Peter 5:8-9; Matthew 16:21-27; James 4:7). The lion in the street might actually be Jesus (Revelation 5:5-10; Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Timothy 4:16-18).

Are you blown here and there like a cap in the wind regarding your faith, even occasionally having doubts (James 1:5-8)? Prayer and personal study of the God-sent Word will help you have a firm foundation so you won’t forget the goal of your faith – the forgiveness of sins through Jesus’ blood and resurrection unto eternal life (2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Peter 1:3-11; Hebrews 9:14; 1 Peter 1:3-9).

Leonard Lauriault is a member of the Church of Christ in Logan. Contact him at [email protected]