Faith Check

Every January 1, gym memberships, health foods, self-improvement plans, time-scheduling charts, and Bible-reading programs are in popular demand. People make resolutions, set goals, promise to become more self-disciplined, and turn over a plethora of new leaves. The new year is a time to begin again—to work on things that don’t come easily and develop a more fulfilling physical, emotional, and spiritual life.

Many Christians resolve to read their Bibles regularly and spend more meaningful time each day in prayer and meditation. The familiar strains of “Auld Lang Syne” are barely fading when some kind of time bomb goes off in our heads that says, “It’s time to fix our spiritually messed-up lives!” And once again we attempt to lend credence to our Christian walk.

The Reason for Resolutions
The most disciplined believers might stick to this new routine of prayer and Bible study all year. But so often our spiritual resolutions barely make it off the tarmac before their engines sputter; and we flutter back down to Earth, feeling too busy to open our Bibles.

I’m not exempt: I make resolutions. I want a strong spiritual life. I want to reflect Christ’s love to others. But as I leafed through my personal prayer journal recently, I noticed how sporadically I spent meaningful time with God over the previous two months.

I felt bad about this inconsistency until I realized my husband and I were involved in a ministry outreach that required all of my time and attention during those many weeks. I was serving the Lord, I reasoned, so all was well, right? Actually, no. When I’m too busy to spend time with the Lord, even while engaged in evangelistic efforts, what I’m really saying is, “I can do this on my own. I’ll get back to You when I’m done doing great things for You, God.”

Why do I struggle to spend time with Him? Is the Bible not living and powerful and sharper than a two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12)? Is God not able to do exceedingly abundantly above all I can ask or think (Eph. 3:20)? And if so, why do I need resolutions? I should be moving heaven and Earth to carve out time with my heavenly Father because I need Him.
I think we make resolutions because of lackluster faith.

Roadblocks to Faith in Action
I have faith. I believe God made the world and everything in it in six 24-hour days. I believe sin entered the world through the fall and redemption for that sin is only found in Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross.

I believe in Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. I believe in the Rapture of the church and what the book of Revelation says will happen on Earth during the Tribulation. I believe in the Second Coming of the glorified Christ as we, His saints, accompany Him back to Earth. I believe in a literal 1,000-year reign of Christ on King David’s throne and then in eternity in the New Jerusalem.

I have absolute confidence in these truths. Why? Because I believe the whole, inerrant, inspired Bible. But putting this faith into practice is difficult.

The Bible says, “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed. He who sits in the heavens shall laugh” (Ps. 2:2, 4). Yet, I spend more time reading the news and fretting over politics than I spend petitioning the One with absolute power over the rulers of this world.

The Bible tells me God will supply all my needs (Phil. 4:19), but I check my 401(k) daily and worry about saving enough for retirement.

The Bible says my days have already been determined (Job 14:5), and I cannot add a day to my life. Yet I sometimes focus more on health fads than I do on the One who will be with me to the end.

The Bible tells me God will never forsake me (Heb. 13:5), yet I wonder who will care for me in my old age and if I’ll die alone.

The Bible tells me God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. So, when I can’t sleep at night, why do I turn to games on my phone or check social media to relax? Why do I lie awake worried about my future? Why do presidents, kings, and dictators frighten me with what they are doing and what they may do next? If my faith is strong, why don’t I make time every day to get in step with my Father, the sovereign Ruler of the universe?

We must discipline ourselves to read His Word, which teaches us the history of this world; how to be reconciled to Him; how to live; and how to know Him in a personal way. He tells us in His Word what has happened, is happening, and will happen; yet we sit with our chins cupped in our hands and wonder, Do I have time to read my Bible today?

It isn’t the lack of time that keeps us from reading Scripture—we make time for what we want. It isn’t the lack of accessibility. Most American homes have at least one Bible, and the average evangelical home has about five. My husband and I have more than 12 Bibles in our home.

And it certainly isn’t the expense that keeps us from Scripture. Following the Dark Ages, the Bible was not available in the language of the common man until John Wycliffe translated the Old and New Testaments into English in the late 14th century. People hungered for God’s Word so much they paid a wagonload of hay to read a Wycliffe Bible for one hour. Owning a Wycliffe Bible cost the average clergyman a year’s salary. How many of us would pay such a price to read God’s Word? Today, you can pick up an inexpensive Bible; and you can read it online for free.

Building Powerful Faith
So, what makes Bible reading and prayer feel like a chore? I believe it’s a lack of faith. We forget that prayer is powerful, that the ancient Book on our shelves is as relevant today as when it was first written, that the words of that Book can change our lives. We forget that someone who delights in God’s Word is “like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit, . . . and whatever he does shall prosper” (Ps. 1:3).

King David was the only person in Scripture called a man after God’s own heart. You might think he had this honor because of his great love for God. However, David also loved God’s Word, and this love shines through his writing. In Psalm 19, David called the Word of God “perfect,” “sure,” “right,” “pure,” “clean,” “true,” and “righteous” (vv. 7–9). God’s heart reaches out deeply to those who love His Word, sing about it, and meditate on it.

Prayer and Bible reading should be more than a discipline or resolution; they are like barometers of our faith. Proverbs 3:5–6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

We should eagerly look to the Lord for direction in every circumstance of life. We should be awed that we can talk to the God of heaven and Earth, who alone has the ability to heal, forgive, provide, comfort, and give wisdom and strength for each day. Time with God is a precious privilege for believers.

We all need to check our faith. Faith for living acts on what we believe about God. To check our faith, we should look inward at the steadiness of our walk with the Lord.

If you often make New Year’s resolutions and find yourself already frustrated because you’ve failed to keep them, you can start a new journey of faith again the next day, no matter the time of year. God’s mercies are new every morning of every day of every year. When we are faithless, He remains faithful. Great is His faithfulness.

Linda Craft is the volunteer coordinator for North American Ministries for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry.