Sitting at our annual family camp in Sweden I cannot help but reflect upon my faith journey the last 18 years. When I was newly baptized I honestly believed that as a newly converted Christ follower God was calling me to separate from the world – a world I believed was full of anti-Christian values and sin.
In fact I relied on the familiar surroundings of church, fellowship and the activities available in the church to help build faith in my life. One might even say that I counted on the comfort and security of a Christian environment for the maintenance of my faith.
I suppose I always cared about those who didn’t know Jesus, but I approached the matter from a perspective of wanting to bring them into the safety of the church subculture, rather than getting involved in people’s lives and living out my faith in the real world.
But I soon discovered that faith begins in the heart and it is strengthened by the challenges placed upon it by a real and complex world – the same world we live and work in. In other words I believe that Christians grow and develop best by being in a place where faith is at risk. This is, in fact, what cultivates a fearless faith.
The older I get and the longer I follow Christ the more my perspective has changed. I believe our faith is designed to be challenged by operating openly in the real world, not hidden away safely within the walls of our local churches or Christian institutions.
Now I will be the first to admit that living our faith in the real world is not always easy, one might even say that it is risky business. We will more than likely be exposed to bad influences and anti-Christian values especially if you live in Sweden.
I am convinced that if we choose to live the radical life Jesus is calling us to we will ridiculed and even persecuted but the paradox of following Christ is that when we put our faith at risk for Christ’s sake that our faith can grow even stronger.
Jesus is the model for fearless faith. He spent large amounts of time with the kinds of people most Christians in our day would not even dream of doing. But we should never forget Jesus words still apply today: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.”
So if you choose to walk a life of fearless faith start where you are. Make friends with your neighbors and your community, love and serve those God has placed on your path. Be a light that shines in the darkness and the world will take notice and understand that God is still at work today (See Matthew 5:16).
APPLICATION:
What evidence in your life suggests that you have isolated yourself from those who don’t know Jesus?