Stopwatch Faith

Here’s a little known fact that you may find interesting.  Did you know that the stopwatch was invented over 200 years ago in France as a gift for King Louis XVIII?  You didn’t? Cool, because I didn’t either.  This hand held watch is typically used to time how long someone takes to finish a race.   Wondering what a stopwatch has to do with today’s post?  Well, I’m glad you asked that question.  Imagine what our faith would look like if it could be measured by a stopwatch. Not pretty, huh?  In fact, having a go-and-stop mindset when it comes to trusting God is detrimental to our entire Walk of Salvation.

Holding on to a promise that you believe that the Lord has given you can be extremely hard. I, for one, have become an authority on this subject. I know better than most how difficult it can be.  Nevertheless, having strong faith is not an option but a requirement in order to have a relationship with the Almighty. Hebrews 11:6 (KJV) warns us, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”  Now, you may be wondering, what exactly is faith? Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) describes it as, “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” It’s not the “substance of things hoped for,” that can be heart-wrenching…it is the,“evidence of things not seen.”  More specifically, it’s the “not seen” part that can figuratively assassinate our hope.  You have no idea how many times I’ve had to read this passage; particularly, in those lonely moments of despair.  This scripture never fails to remind me though why we can not afford to have Stopwatch Faith.  Our trust in God’s Word can not have a, “Get Ready…Set…Go…Stop,” deadline.  In fact, the only time limit associated with our faith, should be indefinite or never ending!

Pastor Mark Batterson, one of my favorite Christian authors, once wrote, “Faith is the willingness to look foolish.”   You would only need to read his award-winning book, “The Circle Maker,” to fully understand how serious this Man of God has been about looking foolish for the sake of his faith.   He shares testimony after testimony of what “Foolish Faith” looks like.  And yet, the Lord showed up and showed out each and every time!

Are you struggling with your faith right now?  Have you been holding on for days, weeks, months or years, and still nothing?  If so, you’ve come to the right place.  Today, I want to encourage you to continue to have faith in God.  No matter what anyone else may think or say, choose to trust God.  Look back over your life and reflect on what He has already done for you.  If the Savior did it once, then He will do it again!  Just remember, if the Lord’s authority and power is not limited to a “stopwatch” timeline, then we, my friend, must not have a “stopwatch” type of faith.