Dear Family and Friends,

Today, we tackle the last of the three reasons why we disobey God’s wishes.

Confidence, or rather the lack thereof, is perhaps the most common reason of them all. Why? Because many of us fall short of having complete heartfelt confidence, trust and faith that our Lord will bless us as promised if only we obey. 

For example, this is a passage that can test our trust in God. “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly.” 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 NIV

Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not at all trying to encourage giving. I’m simply saying that in all my years, I’ve never seen anyone, myself included, cheering as the bucket came by.

Of course I’m joking, but my main point today is that we all have room to grow our faith.

Have you ever sat through a message where the preacher is exhorting everyone to trust in the Lord? Have you read those scriptures that tell us to trust and have faith in Jesus?

We all have, probably many times. But can we be honest, did we really trust God more after walking out of service or completing our devotions? Since it’s highly unlikely any of us did, we won’t bother with those passages today.

Allow me to share this thought instead.

From my experience and those of others, it takes more than words to grow faith and trust in God.

Oftentimes it takes experiencing God and His goodness. 

Have you ever noticed that your faith grows deeper when you are struggling through a dark valley and Jesus shows up when we most need Him? Have you noticed that the light of Jesus shines brightest in the darkest valleys of life? 

There is a strong relationship between experiencing His blessings and growing our trust in God.

Yet the unfortunate truth is that we usually seek His light only when we can’t see on our own.

So, knowing this, where do we go from here? What can we actively do to grow our faith? 

If you are currently in a valley, rejoice as it says in Romans 5:3-5. “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.”

For those who are not in a valley at this moment, may I make an outrageous suggestion?

That we seek out a valley, then travel through it. Why? Let me explain.

Many pastors, myself included, advocate using our God-given skills and talents to serve others, glorify God and grow our faith.

They often quote 1 Peter 4:10 which says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 

Yes we should do this, but this passage should come with a warning. Serving others with our God-given skills requires that we constantly remind ourselves of the source of those skills. It’s so easy, too easy, to forget. 

The valley that I am suggesting is this – that we strive to serve others and God in ways we are not suited, equipped, educated, or trained for. That we challenge ourselves and serve God by faith, not with the skills He gave us.

Our two missionary families in Japan are good examples of serving God by faith, not skills. They all have God-given skills and talents, but the mission field has stretched them well beyond their comfort zones.

They find themselves relying on Jesus for most everything, even for the basics like talking to people. Almost everything they do requires God’s help.

Yet when asked about the experience, they all point to the joy of seeing God at work in and through their lives. They all testify to their tremendous growth in faith.

Now, I am not suggesting we all move to Japan but can I encourage us to look for ways we too can glorify Jesus by faith, not skills?

We can do this by putting ourselves in positions where we must rely on Jesus, like loving an enemy, or by making the transition from student to teacher, from sheep to shepherd, from reader to writer, from the pew to the pulpit. 

There was a time in our lives when we moved out of our childhood home into the world.

Each one of you reading this email is now ready to do the same in your spiritual life as well. You are ready to serve our Lord in ways you never before imagined possible.

All you really need is a bit more confidence.

Can I assure you that God has your back. He always has and He always will.

In love always,