Articles
Inactive Faith
How many groups are you an inactive member of? Many of us have signed up for gym memberships only to stop going after a month or two (yet for some reason they keep charging us…). I’m sure several people signed up for a club in high school like Key club, LEO, Kiwanis, or Rotary. Maybe you’re still an active member, but probably not. Being inactive is not something we take much pride in. We almost always have a pretty good reason as to why we are no longer active in that pursuit.
But here is an interesting thought: do you have an inactive faith? At first glance, we may think that is impossible. At the very least, no one would openly admit proudly that “Yes, I once proclaimed my faith in Christ, but I my faith is currently inactive.” Who would say such a thing? Even used-to-be-churchgoers would explain that they still have faith, even an active one, it just isn’t being shown in any sort of detectable way.
The Bible very clearly speaks about faith in a singular way. It is our faith, it is the faith. We may be weak in our faith, but faith is not something we can have inactively. True faith is living, working, able, vibrant — it is ACTIVE. Your faith either works, or you do not truly have faith. Your faith can always work more, it can always grow, it can always become stronger; but when our faith becomes inactive, we have a very serious problem.
That being said, the fact that you are reading this shows that your faith is more than likely not inactive. However, your faith may be weak. At times when faith is weak, consider where your trust lies. Do you trust God to care for you, or do you take matters into your own hands? Maybe your faith is small. If you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, you have faith, but your faith needs to grow! Seek the Lord, study His word, remember His promises, and allow your faith to grow. Is your faith working? It’s possible to have faith and it not be working the way it ought. Many Christians fall into this category. “Yes, I believe in God; I believe in Jesus; I know what I must do to be saved.” That is wonderful! How much is your faith working, though? Rather, how much is your faith prompting you to work? Faith without works is dead, James tells us.
Our faith may be categorized in a variety of ways, but hopefully “inactive” is not one of them. An inactive faith is hardly faith at all. Never stop reflecting on your own faith, making sure you believe the truth, trust in God’s promises, and obey His commands actively.
