Elton Trueblood relates the story of a man who had the crazy idea he wanted to walk a tight wire across Niagara Falls, pushing a wheelbarrow with a man in it. The wire walker erected a simulated practice situation in his backyard. Daily the determined person practiced, first with a balance bar, later without it. Eventually, after long, tiring weeks of hard work, the “wire-walker” became very good. At last, the day arrived for the hazardous undertaking. Neighbors and persons from the press assembled. Looking nervously across the rushing water the stuntman said to an admiring friend, “Joe, do you believe I can do it?”
“I absolutely believe you can.”
The performer looked out over the falls one more time: “Joe, do you really believe …?”
“I really believe you can.”
“Fine, you’re my man. Get in the wheelbarrow.”
Imagine the question was given to you: Would you believe enough to get into the wheelbarrow?
Most of us would say no. But isn’t this an accurate analogy of the invitation of the Christian life? We either have enough faith for it, or we don’t. We get in or we don’t get in. We admire others in the wheelbarrow, but we would never actually take such a risk ourselves.
Unfortunately, it’s how we treat faith today. We’ll show up to the event; we’ll admire others with enough faith to get in; we may even be willing to pay a price for admission, but we would never actually get in ourselves.
We are inspired by the faith of others when we hear their stories, but we never imagine living them out ourselves. Consider this:
What are you doing right now in your life that requires faith? What are you doing right now, that if God doesn’t come through, it won’t work? Do we live with this kind of faith or are the lives we live much more controlled than this? We almost manage ourselves out of our need for faith until a crisis hits and then when it does, we lack the faith we need to face it.
The time has come where we need to test our faith. The time has come to believe big things for God’s glory and see if He comes through. It’s time to pray and ask God to increase the faith we have.
I believe we have lived too long on selective faith where we choose the terms by which faith happens or doesn’t happen in our lives. It’s time to take away the terms and restrictions of our faith and allow God to move in your life unconditionally.
We know when faith is accomplished, God is glorified and our lives are meant for that very thing.
James 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
