Faith or Desperation?

Yesterday I had the honor of listening to my big brother Perry preach. His church is called Joshua’s Vineyard and it’s located in Albuquerque. Perry is the teaching pastor.

He talked about faith. A broad topic. A popular topic. A topic I’ve heard about all my life.

But when you ask, God always shows you something new. And He did.

Remember how Jesus healed so many people in the Bible? Often he told them, “Your faith has healed you.”

So did they have huge faith? Or did they have little faith?

Perry’s premise is that it didn’t matter the size of their faith. What they had was desperation. Jesus could’ve said to them, “Your desperation has healed you.”

I really like this concept. Desperation is such a precious commodity for us, isn’t it? In the darkest times of my life, my desperation led me to the feet of Jesus. It’s like desperation is a shortcut to access to God.

Trouble with me is that I am seldom desperate. Instead I am complacent, safe, fine, happy, blah-blah-blah. Nothing wrong with enjoying my life. But choosing to remember that my life only has meaning and purpose and joy because of God sparks a little of that desperate faith. The truth of grace in everyday living.

I don’t wish for hard times. No way. But if my faith is to contain that essence of desperation for Jesus, I must choose to seek Him every day.

Seek. An action word. A word that implies I don’t know it all, despite all my religious training.

Hebrews 11:6 says “Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.”

Without faith... Without desperation...

May we each be desperate for Jesus today.

Thanks big brother!