Is God stringing you along.
One summer day while walking in the park, a man saw a 
small boy with a string loosely tied around his wrist. The mans eyes followed the string from the grass where the boy was playing to the belt of an older man with a grey beard sitting on a bench reading a book. The old man lowered his book and called out to the boy saying, “Ian, stay close by.” The boy looked up and smiled at the older man and said, “yes papa, I’ll stay close.” As the man walked on he realized, what he had just seen was an apt metaphor for faith.
Faith is not a dormant concept or ideal hidden away in the deep recesses of our mind only to be brought out in moments of crisis, uncertainty and fear. For the Christ follower faith is our fuel, our map and our mantra. It is an instrument of thought that should guide our steps and maintain our strength. When placed in Christ it repeals doubt, inspires motion and transforms character. (See Hebrews 11)
When placed in self it inspires arrogance, selfishness and greed. When placed in men it insures disappointment and sorrow. The origin of faith is not the mind of man but the heart of God. It’s the string that ties us to the belt of our “Papa.” And a string is all that’s needed. He can work miracles with a string. He can work miracles with the smallest faith (Matthew 17:20; Luke 17:6).
I come from a tradition where we sign hymns. We love to sing. The music is important but we believe the lyrics of a song to be much more important. They should teach us and remind us of the gospel and they should inspire us to a strong faith. One hymn that I will never forget goes like this, “My faith is built on nothing less than Jesus Blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus name. On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.”
Honestly, ask yourself, “Where is my faith? Is it in Christ? If not, why not” Let me know what you think.
Pastor Mike
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