I've often heard the analogy of faith being like a muscle, and I am discovering in my life right now how true that analogy is and how much more gym time I need to put in!!!
My best friend is dealing with cancer, and as I've spent some time with her these last two weeks, God has used her strong faith and trust to encourage and bless me. After over five years of being friends, as this big challenge comes, I see how her everyday faith and commitment to God has strengthened her to the point that when the heavy lifting comes, she is able by God's grace through her faith muscle and the many prayers of others to lift the load he has called her to carry. She is displaying God's glory in a unique way through this new challenge.
It has been an example to me to stay faithful in the small things, to trust God for everything, so that when the big faith challenges of faith come to me, I may bear them with as much grace and displaying God's glory just like my friend Kandice is doing right now.
Of course, the most important part of faith is the patience/perseverance (depending on how you translate whatever that Greek word is). The longevity of faith, the marathon of faith, rather than the one time oomph of faith is what truly counts. I saw that this morning as I read Hebrews 10:35-38, which says, "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to PERSEVERE so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, He who is coming will come and not delay, but my righteous one will live by faith." These verses are what the whole of Hebrews ch. 11 are flowing from.
So pray that my friend and I can both persevere. We're still working out in the gym of faith, lifting heavier weights, but pray for endurance and perseverance. I know that as by God's grace we will all by carried to completion, but we must also be lifting the weights of life by the muscle of faith so that God can be glorified.
