Friday May 6, 2011

Read 2 Peter 1:1

When you think about the Apostle Peter what do you think about? What images come to mind? Maybe the brash disciple who rebuked Jesus when He started talking about His impending death. Maybe you think about the faithful Peter who stepped off the boat and walked to Jesus in faith. Maybe you think about the work of faith as he and John healed the cripple outside the beautiful gate. Maybe you recall the angel that led him out of prison, past the guards, out of the exit and into freedom.  Even though I’m not a betting man, I can bet that you don’t think of Peter who had a faith like yours! When we think of Peter we don’t automatically think, ‘Hey he’s the guy that had a faith just like mine!’ Deep down we really believe his faith was different, probably better or greater than mine. But look at the last four words of vs 1 again.

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ have received a faith           as precious as ours:

Your faith is as precious or valuable  or effective as Peter’s. There is no difference between his faith and the faith that you have received as a gift! WOW!  Your faith is every bit the same as his! God did not grant Peter and the other apostles a different quality of faith and you a lesser quality. They are the same calibre.

The difference often can be attributed to the way we exercise our faith or spend it. Peter was willing to step out in faith at every turn. He was willing to trust God, to take Jesus at His word and to act on it. He was willing to jump out of the boat into stormy waters.

Often we fail to activate our faith because we are afraid. We tend to look at the wind and the waves  of life before we jump out of the boat. The end result is that we are just too frightened to jump out in faith. We make excuses. We justify our inactivity. We busy ourselves with committees and non essential work that replaces the real and true calling of our faith. We pretend and lie to ourselves that we are ok. Faith was given to us to spend. It was given to us to enable us to step out of the boat. It was granted to us to allow us to walk in obedience.  Our gift of faith was never meant to be put on the shelf as a display or icon that we just stare at. A set of new batteries are completely useless if they just sit on the shelf. The power will never be released until they are activated in or by something. Our faith is like those batteries. It needs to be worked, to be activated. It needs to be put into situations where it can thrive and grow.

Think back over this week. How has your faith been active? How has your faith shown itself? In what ways have you stepped out in faith? Take time to think of the opportunities you had to step out in faith. How could things have changed if you did step out in faith.