How Is My Faith In God?
LENT 2024 | DAY 4
Mark 2:1-17 (NIV)
(Alvin Chia, Associate Lay Leader)
I have been talking to a few friends about religious faith and the discourse is often centred on personal experience. I am hence drawn to the details of the account of the four friends who went to great lengths, because of their faith, to bring their paralysed friend to the Lord when He was preaching to a sardine-packed crowd in a home in Capernaum.
We were told the crowd gathered in such large numbers to hear Jesus that there was no room left, not even outside the door (verse 2). So what the four friends did was to carry the man and climb up the roof of the house, make an opening through the roof above Jesus by digging through it, and then lower the mat that the man was lying on to bring and present him to Jesus (verse 4). What an amazing account of the faith of the men and how they acted on their faith.
Their act of faith was rewarded with not just physical but spiritual healing. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralysed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven” (verse 5). And in verse 12, the man got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all.
As I reflected on the account of the incident, the key takeaway for me is how the paralysed man and his four friends acted out their faith. They must have heard of Jesus and His miraculous acts as news of His ministry spread. Hearing and having head knowledge is a good starting point. However, they did not simply just hear and not do anything. The key to acquiring and strengthening the faith is to live it out. They went on to develop confidence and experience it personally.
In this season of Lent, I am committed to exercise my faith daily. Similar to physical exercise which builds up muscles in my body, I will exercise my spiritual faith to build up my spiritual relationship with the Lord. In this way, I pray that I will be able to grow in my journey to better trust and obey Him.
Dear Lord, thank You for Your Word and the reminder to live out my faith and trust in You in all areas of my life. May You help me to exercise my faith daily and to deepen my relationship with You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
DISCUSSION POINTERS:
1. What is faith? In whom do you believe; what do you believe; and why do you believe?
2. Are you always struggling and lacking in faith? Why?
3. What does God say about faith? And trusting and believing in Him? How are you acting out your faith?
