Simple Acts Of Faith

Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!” Revelation 19:5

Want to read about some dramatic displays of faith? Check out Hebrews chapter 11. Abraham alone has some big ones: packing up and leaving home not knowing where he was going; giving up comfort to live in tents; believing Sarah would have a son even though they were both very old; willing to sacrifice that son, the son of promise, accounting that God could raise him from the dead.

Others “through faith conquered kingdoms…stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight…. Some were tortured…Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword.….” (v. 33-37 ESV).

And on and on it goes.

What about us? We might be called upon to take huge life-altering risks or to endure physical torture and death for our faith.

But what if we’re not? How can we show our faith if we’re just living a normal life without such extreme circumstances?

Faith is about trusting God to take care of us. Without that faith, we might reason, for example, that we need to work seven days a week to pay the bills. A simple way to show faith would be to take a day off every week to rest and to worship. When we give that time to the Lord, we are saying to Him, I trust You to provide. This is what the Jewish Sabbath was all about. It’s why the Israelites in the wilderness were only allowed to gather enough manna and quail to feed them for that day. They had to trust that God would provide again the next day.

Another simple act of faith would be to participate in the church’s weekly collection and to “give to everyone who asks of you,” (Luke 6:30). The poor widow in Mark 12 who put in two mites was praised by Jesus because it was all she had. Her small contribution showed great faith that God would provide for her. Another poor widow in 1 Kings 17 shared with Elijah the last of her meager food supplies, and God kept her fed throughout the rest of a severe famine.

Matthew 25:31-45 indicates that simple things like sharing food, drink, and clothing and visiting the sick and imprisoned will be rather important in the final judgment.

Another small way to show faith is to stand your ground on Bible principles even when unbelievers make fun of you. When you save sex for marriage, the world will make fun of your virginity— to them that is a curse or an embarrassment. When you refrain from drunkenness and illegal drug use, you may be excluded and called names, or worse. You may be made fun of for going to church, not using profanity, refraining from violence, or even just not telling people off when they mistreat you. You may be called weak.

Though the ways we live out our faith may not be as dramatic as what’s described in Hebrews 11, doing so still aligns us with the great heroes of faith. And it aligns us with Christ who washed feet and who, although “He was afflicted yet He opened not His mouth,” (Isaiah 53:7).

There is at least one modest act of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11. All Abel did was offer acceptable worship to God. I don’t imagine he considered that risky or was worried that his brother would murder him over it. He was just doing what was right because he had faith. Hebrews 11:4 says that through Abel’s obedient offering, he “obtained witness that he was righteous…and through it he being dead still speaks.”

Faith is about trusting God to take care of us. It’s not about trying to impress Him. In Revelation 19:5, both “small and great” are called upon to worship Him before His throne. In God’s eyes, a simple act of faith is as good as a dramatic one.

Dear God, sometimes I’m tempted to think I need to do something big to make my life meaningful and my service to You acceptable. But You promise the same salvation to all Your servants “both small and great.” I pray that if I’m ever called to some great sacrifice, that I will “be faithful even to the point of death.” Otherwise, help me to walk by faith every day, submitting to Your word in everything, and in everything trusting You to provide. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

by Christie Cole Atkins

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