Make It So You Don't Have To Fake It

Romans 10:9-10

"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."

There is an adage around these days that goes "fake it till you make it." It has wide application. People advising others about how to survive in a new job say it to impart the idea that new work peers will assume you know what you are doing if you act like it. Eventually you will learn the job, and you will impress them with your confidence.

Other applications are found in the world of pop-psychology: if you find yourself less-than-happy, put on a grin anyway. Eventually your smile will convince you to be happy. That one I have a hard time buying, but so it goes.

"Fake it till you make it" is probably not the best advice to give some people, who might just endanger others along their learning curve. Trying to fly a plane or drive a locomotive comes to mind. In those cases, I'm fairly certain there is a reason you'd better be trained properly. Faking it is no substitute for knowledge.

It is interesting advice that Paul gives to the Romans above. When it comes to matters of faith, you really can't fake it till you make it. Both your mouth and your heart need to be aligned. I've seen a lot of preachers who thump a Bible talking about loving others, but then turn around and do some pretty hateful things. You heart has to believe, and then your mouth will profess.

Sometimes we may not always be standing on solid ground when it comes to faith. Situations arise where we may have little faith that our words will match our hearts. In prayer, we may ask God to meet our need, but our faith is tentative. We might not believe it possible that our prayers will make it all the way to God's ears. Even as we ask, we plan for contingencies.

God invites us to test him. He knows our trepidation. Remember, he built us this way. He instilled in us all mechanics to operate independently, and frankly, uncertainty is part of the kit. Uncertainty and doubt is a survival tool that protects us. We know that there are situations that arise where we need to test the waters... or frozen ice on a pond. Check the lines on a rope bridge before you get out to the middle.

What Paul is telling us is to proclaim our faith, and choose to believe. Talk to your inner soul and get aligned. Faith is a choice. You may sometimes be challenged to keep the faith you have chosen, but stick with it.

The amazing thing about choosing Christ is that as life becomes more complex, you will discover that your faith will grow in equal complexity. You will be able to think deeper thoughts, be wise in a multitude of challenges, and discover more about the world around you as you stick to one simple truth: The resurrection of Jesus Christ is real. His resurrection is the ultimate triumph over this world.

Develop a faith in your heart, and you will triumph too.

Give Up if you Must, But Don't Give In.

Ephesians 6:10-18

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

We live in times where the threat against the Christian Church is once again on the rise. There are an increasing number of anti-Christian groups doing their best to snuff out every last trace of Christianity, along with any other faith that disagrees with their own sick and twisted view of the world. Stopping them is a seemingly impossible task.

Each of these groups have their own leaders who dictate and encourage these actions, who are very good at manipulating their followers into doing their bidding. But just as in the story of Hercules, if you move to cut off the head of the monster, it seems that two more pop up to take its place. Hercules found an answer: when he cut off a head from the Hydra, he seared the wound with a torch, and it was unable to sprout a new set of heads. The lesson the ancient Greeks were teaching was that any impossible task is doable; you just have to do the job completely.

There are those who will tell you that we are facing the end of days, as foreseen in scripture. That may be true. Or it may just be another flare-up of the same old pestering problem where sick, twisted, evil and sometimes just dim-witted leaders rile up their followers to wreak havoc across the holy land. Certainly, given the weapons available these days, the consequences are staggering. Either way, the results are fearsome and demoralizing. The implications of a world wide conflict are depressing and frightening. So what do we do?

The apostle Paul is quick to put things in perspective. The real conflict isn't so much against the individuals as it is against the spiritual forces of evil. Yes, those individuals can and do cause a great deal of harm, and we may be forced to face such evil ourselves some day. Maybe in a big way, like a global conflict. More likely in a more personal conflict, like fighting a disease, or a rift between family or friends.

But Paul also tells us what we can do to prepare for it: Put on the Armor of God. Know his word. Focus on the heavenly realms. Pray. Be firm in your belief. Be more certain and protected in your relationship with God that the heart of the murderers and terrorists in this world. Put on the FULL armor. Know the things driving your faith and use them to stand against the foe.

Acclaimed lyricist Nan Knighton captured that spirit of courage saying this:

"There will always be perilous waters
Which someone must sail
Into valleys, into waters
Into jungles, into hell
Let us ride, let us ride home again with a story to tell
Into darkness, into danger
Into storms that rip the night
Don't give in, but give up
But give thanks for the glorious fight"

So take on the full armor. Be prepared for any sinful attack against your faith. That is your best protection. And even if you find that in your personal battle, the foe becomes the victor and you have to give up... Don't give in! Keep on believing in the greater power, and give thanks for the glorious fight. You belong to Christ eternally.