What is faith?
I read a great little book last year called The Condor of the Jungle – Missionary Pilot of the Andes. It’s the biography of Wally Herron – an Australian missionary who spent years in Bolivia ministering to the people there. I found it to be an inspiring read, and so I’d like to share some of the stories and lessons from this book with you this week.
Wally grew up in Australia, and as a young man he heard a preacher talk about being born again. Wally was convicted in his spirit, and received God’s saving love that night. In the next three years he felt a stronger and stronger call to ministry, and so when he left school he enrolled at the Melbourne Bible Institute to learn ministry and medicine for mission work.
Faith: Action vs. Passivity
One day the principal walked into the classroom and taught the students a lesson that Wally Herron never forgot. The principal asked the class a simple question: “What is faith?” After unpacking a few Bible passage on the subjects, he said this: “We have a lot of students who make a practice of praying to the Lord that He will provide the funds needed to pay their bills. I’ve notices that there are two general methods of procedure after finishing the prayer. Some sit back and just fold their hands. The most work they do is to run to the post office whenever there is a delivery to see what the Lord has sent in. Then there are others who take action. If someone calls the school and asks for a student to clean their garden, they jump at the opportunity. When they get paid for the work, they thank the Lord for answering their prayer.
“Which one has faith? The Lord has promised to provide, but He expects that each one of us will make his own effort to find out how God wants to supply.”
Faith in Action: Pray and Pursue
This is an excellent teaching! When we ask God to do something, we don’t just sit back and expect him to do it. We labour with Him to get it done.
This goes much further than money. Are you praying for an opportunity? Well, pray, and then go out and seek an opportunity. Are you praying for a companion? Well, pray, and then get out and go meet people. Are you praying for purpose in your life? Well, pray, and then get busy for God and see where he leads you.
Don’t fall into the trap of praying for something and then folding your hands and just waiting for God to make it happen. Learn today, like Wally Herron did, that faith is not a matter of sitting and waiting, but going and doing.
