Fair Weather Faith

A couple Sundays ago we talked about Habakkuk and I have been reminded again and again of one point we talked about in that message. We talked about focusing on the Who, being God, of our lives rather than all the why questions that pop up and get in the way. We talked about whether or not the Who changed our focus, changed our outlook and our daily steps. The key is a persistent daily walk with God, the Who of our lives. The point that has been ringing in my ears is that we should not wait until the day of our testing to "work out" our faith. It is a daily exercise/ spiritual discipline that we must find ourselves in rather than waiting for the day when problems come to go to God. Paul encouraged the believers in Philippi to "work out their salvation" (Philippians 2:12) so that it would be a daily part of their lives. Our walk with Christ shouldnt be a one day, one hour a week commitment but an every day reality, relationship with the God who made us seeking to make him Lord of our lives. We use the term fair weather fans a lot for those who waiver in commitments to their teams or only go to games when the weather is comfortable. I was talking with someone about the Cleveland Indians opening day game and they made the comment that "I like baseball but, who would sit out in this weather!" Well, I suppose those really committed crazy fans wouldnt let whatever weather stop them from going to opening day. Do we have fair weather faith? Do we participate in our faith life only when we feel like it? Do we go to a church that only or when it fits with our needs? Do we serve in ways and areas that only feel comfortable to us? Or....do we allow God to stretch us and take us into uncomfortable places? Do we "work out" our salvation when we dont want to? Do we go to church when we dont feel like it? Do we serve when and where it isnt convienent for us? Doing so, because we know that the true place of growth isnt found in staying safe and comfortable but in being willing to go through difficult experiences and places of discomfort so that we will grow more and more into the image of Jesus Christ.