James: Tired, Tested, Torn and Full of FaithSample

When Your Faith is Tested

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” James 2:26 NKJV

There are moments in our lives that make us face the reality of if our faith is dead or alive. It’s the moments that knock the wind out of us. The ones that make you feel like you’ve been hit in the chest. The heart beats harder. The headache creeps, in and the nights seem longer. This is the time to evaluate what you truly believe in the depths of your soul.

Testing the faith of a person isn’t an easy test and it doesn’t typically just go away over night.

In the Bible study I wrote on the book of James: Tired, Tested, Torn and Full of Faith, I share a little bit of the story of my dad who walked through a very difficult cancer battle. You probably have someone in your life who is walking through cancer right now or who has recently.

My dad’s cancer was head and neck cancer. The first time he was diagnosed the outcome was surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. And after all that he was cancer free! The doctor told us if the cancer returned it would probably come back with a vengeance and take him home to heaven. And it did.

The cancer spread quickly, and the time we had with my dad was short. In those days of waiting in hospice care, my dad continued sharing Jesus until he had no life left. He could not speak because the cancer was in his throat and mouth. His voice was completely taken away by the cancer, but he had a little tablet he wrote messages on.

Each time someone entered the hospital room, he would write on his tablet these words, “Do you know Jesus.” They would answer yes and testify of God’s great love or they would answer in a way with questions and doubt. If the second response came, Dad would look over at me or my mom and give us the look to speak up. This is when we had the opportunity to speak the truth about Jesus and what He had done for us. It was amazing to see people look with wonder and amazement as we shared the hope of Jesus amidst such a difficult time.

This testifying wasn’t something we did because we were amazing Christians; it was because of faith we held so close to our hearts. We knew without any doubt that Jesus was the only way we were making it through these difficult days.

We truly believe Jesus is the only way to God the Father. We believe with all our hearts that Jesus is the only answer to our problems, our sins, our past, and our future hope in heaven.

Early one morning we received the call that dad had taken his final breath. We rushed to the hospice room only to find a room filled with stillness. There was no life left. There was no spirit, no joy, nothing but the shell of a human body lying in the bed. And in that moment it hit me, just as James says, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Faith is dead, silent and still, without any movement or spirit when it is not at work. But faith that works is alive, active, powerful, and filled with hope like a heart working hard to keep the body alive.

The lesson here is–it’s not that we must work for more faith; it’s that we let the faith we hold work within us, and in turn, it works from us and beyond us. When we truly believe deep within our souls that Jesus is the only way to God, to heaven, to hope, faith works. It shines light into the darkness of life. When we doubt and struggle to believe, we stay quiet, still, and lifeless like a dead corpse whose Spirit has moved on. Don’t let the enemy quench your Spirit. When you feel the faith inside you springing up, speak up. Say what you believe, and let faith be the foundation of your works.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, when my faith is tested, help me speak up in moments when my heart is tested. Remind me you are with me helping my faith to flourish and shine. Give me words, wisdom, and hope that I know only comes from You especially when my heart is tested. In Jesus’ name, amen.