Activated Faith: Believing and Behaving

​by: Micah A. Tecne

It has been a long weekend and we have commemorated the love of Jesus that is being poured out upon us on the cross and how He rose from the dead, proving that our faith in Him is not in vain. It is a season that reminded us that there is still hope in spite of all the chaos that we may experience whether in our personal lives; national and even international issues that can affect us. As we hear news about war, tragic incidents, illnesses, and natural calamities, we tend to raise the question “why?”. Our faith wavers and we lose hope thinking there is nothing we can do. We hear people give up in this so called race of life. Giving up being they can’t find the answer why things are happening. We stop believing and we eventually stop moving and doing.

An old writer says, "Faith and reason may be compared to two travelers: Faith is like a man in full health who can walk twenty or thirty miles at a time without suffering. Reason is like a child, who can only with difficulty accomplish three or four miles. On a given day Reason says to Faith, 'O good Faith, let me walk with thee.' Faith replies, 'O Reason, thou canst never walk with me!' However, to try their paces, they set out together, but they soon find it hard to keep company. When they come to a deep river, Reason says, 'I can never ford this,' but Faith wades through it singing. When they reach a lofty mountain, there is the same exclamation of despair; and in such cases, Faith, in order not to leave Reason behind, is obliged to carry him on his back; and, oh, how dependent upon Faith is Reason!" Why has God made faith the indispensable ingredient in man's approach to Him? Is it not precisely because man's reason can go only so far? Where reason comes up against an insurmountable obstacle, faith soars above it and apprehends God and heavenly mysteries by this divinely given faculty. 

When we find ourselves losing any reason to move forward, let this season remind us to keep on believing. Our faith will carry us beyond our own reasoning. Let us trust in the Lord with all our hearts; and lean not to our own understanding. In all our ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct our paths. As we believe, we are able to activate our faith that is seen in what we do and say.
An old country preacher used to say: "There are two parts to the Gospel. The first part is believing it, and the second part is behaving it." The hearer only is the one who is satisfied with just believing without behaving. That is what James describes as dead faith 

One of the question in the movie Do You Believe: Do you believe in the Almighty God; His plans and purposes, His works? If yes, then what are you doing about it? Is your faith activated? Does your faith has feet?  Does your faith in God move you higher, deeper, wider, and further in Him? If yes, go further! If no, choose to be activated now! No more excuses and alibis, no more reasons!
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What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.