Use Your Faith

Mark 4:24-25 “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you – and even more. 25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”
 
ANY item you own that you don’t use is useless. For example, someone gives you a new bicycle, but you never ride it. You leave it in the house because you want to protect it from the rain. You don’t want anyone to steal it. And you certainly don’t want any flat tires or broken pedals. It would be too much effort to care for and use the bicycle. You forget the bicycle can help you quickly travel to the market to get some small items for lunch. The bicycle may also help you get to your work more quickly or even allow you to have work. The work will allow you to buy more things you can use. Perhaps you could get a second bicycle for another member of your household. The bicycle can be a form of strengthening your body, too. In short, the bicycle can help you have a more satisfying life. But the useful gift with so much potential to help your life becomes useless because you don’t use it.
   Faith is God’s glorious gift to you. Carefully read Peter’s words here: Acts 3:16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see. The Holy Spirit had given faith to Peter and the apostles to believe and do all the Master had taught them. Peter and John prayed healing for a crippled beggar in the temple. The Spirit gave the man new strength. The apostles and the man did not earn what they received. The Lord God gave to them. Peter and John used the gift. The healed man now had the option: would he use his new legs or not?
   What do you think? Surely he put those legs to good use. Why wouldn’t he? God had done a remarkable work in his life. By faith he was a new creation. Perhaps the Spirit used him to preach God’s Word and to heal others as he had been healed.
   We know the apostles did as Jesus taught. Acts and the epistles are evidence of their useful faith that expanded the church and laid the foundations of our knowledge in Jesus today.
   Thus, we ask, has the faith Jesus gave to you become useful for your life? That’s what Jesus wants for you. It’s simple to understand. The more we use our faith, the more effective we will be for his kingdom. “Consider carefully what you hear.” Use your faith well to show Jesus is King. Then watch your faith and his kingdom grow.