We
have all heard the term regarding a "fair-weather friend" and if I
dare say so, many of us have, at one time or another in our lives, been just
that ...A FAIR WEATHER FRIEND!
Which
got me to thinking that all too often we treat Jesus in much the same way when
it comes to our faith. Consider the many times He turned to His disciples and
ask of them, "O ye of little
faith?" How many times could He
have asked the same question of you and me as we falter in our daily walk with
Him?
From
the onset of His earthly ministry, Jesus was always questioning His followers
regarding their faith. In Matthew 6 during His Sermon on the Mount, He tells
his disciples not to worry regarding their daily needs since their Heavenly
Father takes care of even the smallest sparrow and not one of the smallest of
His creation can fall from the sky without His knowledge; however, we fret and
worry about our next meal and wonder if God really cares and will feed and
clothe us...so Christ asks, "Will He
not much more clothe you, o you of little faith?"
And
let us not forget that evening in the boat as the disciples began to make their
way across the Sea of Galilee and the storm blew up, and the waves rocked and
tossed the boat and all seemed lost...but at just the right moment, Christ
arose from a peaceful slumber, rebuked the winds and the sea and all was
calm...then He said to his followers, "Why
are you so fearful? How is it that you have no FAITH?" (my emphasis) Mark
4:40 NKJV
Unfortunately,
many of us are just like those first disciples who had left their families,
their homes, their livelihood to follow this miracle worker named Jesus.. all
was well for a season! But as opposition
to the teachings of this man from Galilee arose and the hardships and threats
against their lives increased, the disciples began to pull back into the
shadows of their society so as not to upset the ruling sects of the Pharisees
and Sadducees...they fell into the trap of being FAIR WEATHER FOLLOWERS!!!!
The
same mentality can invade our thinking in our society today. We might hear that
some folks don't like to spend time with those "religious nuts" and
so we distance ourselves from our church friends or any reference to how we
spend our Sundays in worship. We have a bad argument with our spouse and think
that maybe this thing called marriage is just a farce and we would be better
off on our own...or a job that we expected to retire from has been pulled out
from under us and we are too old to learn anything new...so our faith falters
and we begin to look for someone or something to blame. Yes, when life is going
good and all the pieces seem to fit just right, we can proclaim that we do
indeed love Jesus; but when life hands us a big bowl of lemons, we decide that
we are no longer thirsty for life or for the work that requires us to make
lemonade.
We
are perfectly content to be a FAIR WEATHER FOLLOWER ...but a FWF is just a
lukewarm follower and Christ said in no uncertain terms in Revelation 3:16, "So then, since you are lukewarm and
neither cold nor hot, I will spit (vomit) you out of my mouth."
THE
BAD NEWS...There is a day of reckoning coming for us all...and for those who
are just a Fair Weather Follower, it is NOT going to be a good day! THE GOOD
NEWS...if you are still breathing, there is time to make a change and become a
FAITHFUL FOLLOWER as you commit to lean on Jesus in all the challenges and
triumphs of life.
Don't be apathetic about
your relationship with Jesus. After all, He gave His all so that you could be
reunited with your Creator and all He ask in return....
LIVE FOR HIM LIKE YOU
MEAN IT....JUST TRUST AND OBEY, FOR THERE IS NO OTHER WAY, TO BE HAPPY IN JESUS
, BUT TO
TRUST
and OBEY,
WPQ
Poem for the day...
When troubles in
your life
Are knocking you
down;
It's then you
need a faith
That's built on
solid ground.
A faith that
will sustain you
Though the
stormy winds may blow.
A faith that
keeps you in His grasp
And will never
let you go!
Your faith must be
your anchor
That keeps you
tied and tethered.
So you will have
a faith that last
Through more
than just fair weather...
So no matter
what you come against
Whether in calm
or stormy seas;
A life that's
lived in faithfulness
Is a life that's
sure to please!
WPQ © JUNE 2018
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