Preface:
Those of you who know me well will instantly recognize the seriousness of the following statement when I tell you that I've recently begun listening to a little Christian music on the radio while driving. Shocking, I know, but true nonetheless. Granted, I can only take it in small doses, and there are times when I turn it off in disgust, but still, this is a big step for me.
Anyway, while out and about yesterday I was listening to a song about faith when I had a "stream of consciousness" moment. I can't remember the name of the song, but the basic premise was, "I wish I had more faith." (Not to worry. I'm assured of hearing it again soon, as the Christian station up here in our neck of the woods plays the same half dozen songs over and over and over and over and over and over again. But, I digress.)
A Brief Thought on Faith:
I recall several years ago attending a time management seminar put on by the good people behind that miracle of modern efficiency, The Franklin Planner. The presenter, an endearing man to be sure, burst into the room and breathlessly asked us the following question.
"If I could show you how to find 2 extra hours in your day, would that be helpful?!"
Well shoot, yes it would be helpful! We were all young manager-types, overworked, underpaid, and generally sleep deprived. We started hootin' and hollerin', jumping up and down, and basically carrying on like the apes in that opening scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey. It was something to behold.
Our new best friend from Franklin stood back for a moment and watched as we fairly destroyed the room. Once order had been restored, the broken glass swept up, and the injured taken away for treatment, he stepped forward and looked each of us in the eye, one at a time, and quietly said, "Well, forget it. There's only 24 hours in the day. That's all there ever has been, and that's all there ever will be. You've got all the time you're ever going to get. The secret is in how you use it."
I reflected back on that experience yesterday as I listened to the earnest singer wishing for more faith.
You may take exception to this on philosophical or even theological grounds, but I believe we--that is, all of us--have all the faith we're ever going to get. I don't believe faith is a gift, doled out in various doses as needed. It's not something we're given, but something we uncover. It's in all of us, inert, waiting to be found and utilized.To paraphrase the Franklin Man, we've got all the faith we're ever going to get. The secret is in how we use it. It's not a question of having more faith; it's a matter of what we do with the faith we have. In that sense, faith is a choice.
When it comes down to it, a lack of faith can easily become a holy cop out.
"You know, I'd do that thing I think God wants me to do if I had more faith. I'll pray for more faith."
It's interesting what happens in that scenario.
- I'd do it if I had the faith
- I don't have the faith
- I've prayed for the faith
- I still don't have the faith
- I guess God hasn't done the faith-thing yet.
- Oh well, maybe tomorrow
- What's on TV?
It looks to me like we're throwing the ball back in God's court. Let's be honest with ourselves, and also let God off the hook. I haven't done that thing yet because I'm scared silly, or I don't want to do it, or for any of a thousand other reasons, but one of them cannot be because God inadvertently messed up the dosage on my faith prescription. In my life I've spent a lot of time thinking like that, and you know what happened?
Nothing.
That's kind of the point.
The problem with a leap of faith isn't the faith. The problem is the leap.
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