By Patrick

Fruit of the Spirit Study - April Topic: Faithfulness

Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

So it just occurred to me that I’ve been writing these online devotionals for several months now without really introducing myself. I previewed our devotional theme back in September and have written one or two posts a month since then. But all the while I still never gave you any personal info. Indeed, most of you reading this probably don’t know me. Perhaps you’ve disliked that impersonal style. Or, perhaps you actually do like the lack of autobiography better. If the latter is the case, then I apologize in advance for breaking from that established pattern. You see, for this particular topic and for this particular post, I feel as though some personal sharing is needed.

In short, Paul wrote in the first century about the gift of faith (1 Corinthians 12:9)......and I don’t have that. I really wish I did, but I don’t. Faith is hard for me. You may not have realized it, but I’m almost certainly one of the most skeptical people you’ve ever met (if you’ve met me). Now please know that I’m not complaining. Indeed, I’ve been able to focus that skepticism in good ways throughout my life. It’s enhanced my critical thinking, it’s sharpened my analytical reasoning, it’s fueled my curiosity, and it’s prevented naivety. It’s helped me to challenge issues with college classmates at Vanderbilt and grad school professors at Harvard. As an academic tool, it’s been irreplaceable. But as a devotional disposition, it’s been hard. Very hard.

And why is that? Because faith is personal. As much as I love high level theological reasoning, as much as I enjoy reading deeply abstract philosophical posturing, that is NOT the substance of faith. Jesus did not rise from the dead so that we could comprehend God. He rose from the dead so that our faith in what we do NOT comprehend could save us. And that faith MUST be personal. As Jesus says,

Luke 7:50 – Your faith has saved you

That’s hard for me because I always want to understand, I always want an answer, I always want logic……but God is not logical!! God does not fit into our intellectual categories. He’s not bound by the rules of science, He’s not restricted by the dictates of philosophy, He’s not limited by the reaches of reason, and He’s not contained by the events of the future. He is God, and He is not satisfied with our group confessions or our ritualistic religions. He created people in His image because He is PERSONAL.

Indeed, faith is ultimately about a personal relationship with Jesus. Faith is about a personal connection to God. Faith is about personal conviction to surrender, to worship, to love, and to act. Now is faith also corporate, social, and shared in community? YES. Of course it is. But if all we have is our faith in community, if all we have is a group experience, if our love for and submission to Jesus does not penetrate our personal lives AWAY FROM THE GROUP, then our faith is not really alive (James 2:14-26). If the strength of our faith is based on the strength of someone else’s faith, then we have not made our faith personal. Again, as Jesus says,

Luke 7:50 – Your faith has saved you

So is Jesus the personal Savior OF YOU? Is He the personal Lord OF YOU? It doesn’t matter how good your pastor’s sermons are or how good the worship band at church makes you feel as they play……if your group experience and your shared theology are not supplemented with your own strong, PERSONAL relationship, then you are missing out on all of Jesus. You are missing out on all that Jesus could be in your decisions, in your relationships, in your ethics, in your prayers, and in your worship. Is your faith personal? Or does it rely too much on the experiences of others? Or on experiences with others? How strong is your PERSONAL connection to God?

One of my favorite stories in the gospels is when a father gets personal with Jesus. He pleads with Jesus to heal his son. Jesus says that such healing could only happen if there is real faith, to which the father responds:

Mark 9:24 – "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" So what happened next? Jesus heals the man’s son.

This story means there's hope for people like me. I do believe, but I still need Jesus to help me overcome my unbelief. What do you need Jesus to help you overcome in your life right now?

Lastly, if you’re working at Camp Ozark this summer, then ask yourself how your faith can become more personal in that particular setting. Because at Ozark, you will not be able to rely on sermons, or music, or campus ministers. Your connection to God will be your personal faith. Now, will we have Bible studies for you? Yes. Will we have group worship times? Yes. Will you be in community with Christians who support and encourage you? Yes. But will all that be enough to fully enable you to love kids the way Jesus loves kids? No. Your connection to God must be YOURS; a connection that can survive any circumstance, any challenge, and any deficit. Because as Jesus says, demonstrating personal faith is what saves us. If you’re coming to Ozark, then an opportunity to demonstrate that faith, to live that faith, and to grow that faith is almost here. Please get ready! The kids certainly will be.

Email me. (patrick@campozark.com)