Faith: What are you seeking?

The statement beckons for our attention. We must think, be honest with ourselves, think about our religion/faith. What are we doing? Why are we doing it? What is our focus, purpose, goal?
From Sarah Miles (Jesus Freak), “We’d rather have a dead religion than a living God.”

I recoil from the suggestion. Surely not I?
When have we honestly evaluated what we do in the life sphere we call religion? What do we hope to accomplish or gain?

Are we trying to be right? The frequent claims for truth, correctness, and virtual inerrancy would suggest that such may be the goal. Nothing wrong with being right, but is that the ultimate goal?

Are we trying to find a version of faith that guarantees our eternity? Faith is a vibrant, constantly changing approach to life. The One on whom we believe and base faith is not changing, but our interaction with the contemporary world cannot be defined by a faith frozen in place in some time past.

Are we seeking self-centered benefits? Religion easily morphs (decays) into self-centeredness, doing what we do primarily for ourselves.

Living the faith daily cannot be defined solely by what we do on Sundays or Wednesdays. Living by faith each day is complicated, the path is sometimes hard to discern. It is much easier when someone points out a predetermined faith response that settles everything once for all. Such is not the nature of biblical faith. Faith believes God so much that it engages in diligent search. What are you diligently seeking? The word ‘diligent’ is sticky–but I will let you think about whether your faith search is diligent….

The challenge of faith is more often a threat than a comfort. Jesus’ life–his response to the religious establishment, his response to the sinners who were attracted to him–was enigmatic, messy, challenging, difficult. So shall it be if/when we succeed in imitating the incarnation as we become participants in the divine nature.