Keep Your Faith Alive
By: Ron Fraser
I recently learned about a man in our neighborhood who could no longer deal with the struggles in his life and the stress that the existing culture has put on him and his family. So he chose suicide to escape the pressures of life, leaving a wife and children without a husband and father.
The fact that I did not know him very well does not soothe my spirit for not having made a greater effort to share the gospel with him or to befriend him. The reality of the situation is that this was a lost soul to whom I might of, or could have, made a difference in his life had I not held back or lived in my own fear of what was going on around me.
Though denial is rampant in our day, on some deep, perhaps even intuitive level, most people sense that we are living in troubled and potentially very dangerous times, and they are searching for guidance. Threatening clouds seem to be invading all areas of life, from personal health to economic stability to world peace. To be sure, troubled, and dangerous times are nothing new in human history.
They are divided into two types, however, there were times of crisis that were met with vision and courage and there were times of crisis that failed to give rise to strong leadership. The question we need to ask is this: to which type does our present crisis belong? Will the problems that beset us lead to a deepening of the foundations of our lives and our faith in God, or will
we be overwhelmed by our situation and allow ourselves to be buried under our circumstances? One observation that we can make is this: in our own civilization’s history, the Bible and one’s faith in God has often played a central role in motivating a courageous response to crisis. The Bible has been a source of vision and courage in troubled periods of the past.
All faiths have dealt with the challenge of keeping faith alive under the adverse conditions of war or diaspora or persecution—but never all faiths at the same time. Our faith, in a time of extreme difficulty that may be yet to come, will face challenges as to what it means to minister and to fellowship. But what we do know is that this crisis will also expand the opportunities for those who are looking for them.
I have noticed that this crisis has gotten the world’s attention. I’ve had the opportunity to share the gospel with a few people already and this crisis has only just begun in the United States. I believe this time of trouble and unrest is going to be here for some period and that people are going to be more and more receptive to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I believe that in the days
and weeks to come the church is going to need to step up and do God’s work. My prayer for the church, and all other ministries, is that we be obedient and stand strong in faith. We are going to get to see God do great things. Keep praying to be used by God in whatever way possible in your regional area. My challenge to you is to think outside the box, considering your
present situation, as to how God can continue to use you to reach others with the gospel of Christ. Consider how you can be that light to someone living in a dark world. Ministry does not stop when the world goes into crisis. Believers should be the lighthouse for the rest of the world to see in a time of real darkness. Pray also for the church to start teaching the whole counsel of God. Remember that we are all blessed to preach the gospel and that it is an absolute honor that God would choose us to bring forth His Word in a time like this. Men and women, step up and then step out. Our world needs your leadership now.
