Rob Witham

Thomas Merton makes an interesting observation in his little book, “Thoughts In Solitude.”

“Yet You, O Lord, came into the world to be poor among the poor, because it is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into the Kingdom of Heaven. And we, with our vow, we are content with the fact that we legally possess nothing, and that for everything we have, we must ask someone else’s permission?

Is this poverty? Can a man who has lost his job and who has no money with which to pay his bills, and who sees his wife and children getting thin, and who feels fear and anger eating out his heart - can he get the things he desperately needs merely by asking for them? Let him try. And yet we, who can have many things we don’t need and many more which are scandalous for us to have - we are poor, because we have them with permission!”

Merton approaches this from the perspective of a monk who has made a vow of poverty. Nonetheless, he makes an interesting observation here. I have been reflecting on the wisdom of these words and a parallel application.

When does faith become faith? Let me explain. What we often call faith may be a belief system but it is not faith. It is easy to claim belief in God, his goodness and his provision when all is going well in life. But that is not faith - that is a belief system.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11.1)

Our belief system does not become faith while we yet see the realization of our desires. Our belief system become faith when we do not see what we desire, hope and long for and yet we still believe.

“All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them.” (Hebrews 11.13)

“Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11.39-40)

Our calling is not to live by what we see. We are not called to believe in God when things go well for us. We are called to believe God even when it does not look like God will come through. As the Apostle Paul argued, we walk by faith not by sight. Walking by faith and walking by sight are opposite poles. It is one or the other.

“So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5.6-7)

God likes to actively grow our faith though. This is both good news and important for us to understand. Too many miss this and then find themselves shipwrecked under the winds of adversity.

“My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1.2-4)

God, as a loving parent, brings difficulties into our life to mature us. God tests our faith to produce endurance. We are tested for a purpose - and that purpose is not because God wants to see us suffer. We are tested because God loves us and is in the process of making us mature and complete, more like his Son whom he loves.

God brings testing and trials into our life so that we can learn to have faith, and to walk by faith. An untested belief system is not faith. A tested belief system results in a strong and unshakable faith that is glorifying to the God who is its object.