Faith vs. Faithless

It was early and my cup of tea had not yet completely cleared the cobwebs of a good night’s sleep, so I almost read right past this verse. At first read – I thought it to mean, again, that God was displeased because “they” the Israelites, were rebellious and disobedient, and they were. I’m only in chapter 15 of a 48 chapter book and that fact is abundantly clear. They were a rebellious, hard-hearted people.But even as I breezed through this verse – my eye and heart caught on the word “faithlessly”, they have acted faithlessly. It caused me to wonder – Scripture says, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Gal 3:11

How, on a daily basis, do I live by faith? How, on a daily basis, do you live by faith? In Frances Chan’s book “Crazy Love” (which I have a love/hate relationship with) he made the following statement. (I know I have recently referred to this quote but I believe it bears repeating.) “Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to. They don’t have to trust God if something unexpected happens – they have their savings account. They don’t need God to help them – they have their retirement plan in place. They don’t genuinely seek out what life God would have them live – they have life figured and mapped out. They don’t depend on God on a daily basis – their refrigerators are full and, for the most part, are in good health. The truth is their lives wouldn’t look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God.” Pg. 78

Have we structured our lives so we don’t have to live by faith? When was the last time you attempted something greater than you can pull off? When was the last time you gave more than or all you had? When was the last time you shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ in spite of your knocking knees and racing heart? I work at a Christian ministry yet I wonder how much I do daily in my own strength that requires little or no faith. Are you comfortable in your walk? Perhaps it’s time to trade in your sneakers for a pair of flimsy sandals and start following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ living in full dependence on the Father and Spirit. Believe God for more.