We should always have faith, but that doesn’t mean we never plan anything. My last blog addressed this: Christians Should Not Always “Just Have Faith”. I laid out arguments for times to “just have faith,” and times that God calls us to plan. If in our opportunity or problem we are unsure of whether or not we should have faith or plan, we should seek godly counsel. This should be from seasoned Christians who may be able to point us to Scripture and/or offer godly advice in the matter.

In this post I want to consider why or if Christians abuse the idea of “just have faith.” I want us to look at reasons we can actually use this for what may seem like our advantage, but can actually be to our demise. We should be able to avoid such pitfalls.

STAMP OF APPROVAL AND I”M NOT TO BLAME

The first reason that we may avoid really discovering what Scripture has to say about whether we are to plan or just have faith in an area is because we already have our own desires of what we want to do. If we say, “I’m just having faith,” that puts a stamp of approval on what we are doing, even though it might not be what God wants us to do.

We spiritualize decisions which we have not sought from the Holy Spirit. Instead of asking God what we should do, we tell God what we are going to do. If it doesn’t go well, we blame it on, “Well, I was doing God’s will, and following God doesn’t always lead to earthly success.” 

While it is true that following God always leads to glorifying Him but may not always leads to earthly success, we need to be careful that we are not putting the stamp of approval or faith on something just because we want to do it. If we can point directly to Scripture or have several wise, godly counselors think through the whole issue from every side with us through much prayer, then we can put God’s approval on it.

LAZINESS IN SEEKING GOD

“Just have faith” is often simply Christian laziness. Scripture clearly guides us in how we are supposed to live our lives. If we don’t have Scripture to back up our plans or just have faith in our decisions, often it can be from laziness in seeking God. Like I said before, when we want to do something,  instead of seeking Scripture and wise counselors, we jump to the Nike logo –“Just Do It” – as if that’s in the canon of Scripture.

PITFALL OF FAILING TO TRULY SEEK GOD

There are pitfalls to failing to truly seek God. First, you may do something that God doesn’t want you to do. Being outside of His will is always a bad thing. It may actually harm you whether physically, mentally, financially, spiritually, or emotionally. Second, you could actually make a bad name for God. If you say, “I’m just having faith in God,” and He hasn’t called you to that and you fail, others who do not believe in God may say, “See, God is not real.” Jesus says in Luke 14 that the person who does not plan when they should and fails is mocked by others (referenced in last week’s blog). It also could damage your own faith from that same perspective thinking God didn’t come through for you when you never really sought Him before the fact. 

WILL YOU SEEK AND PRAY?

Are you seeking Scripture to see if God is calling you to plan or have faith in your problem or opportunity? If not, can a more seasoned Christian point you to God’s Word? If you have asked several Christians and still don’t know if you should plan or have faith, can you get together with those godly individuals to pray about the decision so that God may be glorified and you can succeed?

Thanks for taking time to read this Maddening Theology post. If you enjoyed this content you can find Pastor Tim’s sermons at www.cornerstoneforestcity.org. You can also join us at 520 Marion St. Browndale, PA 18421 on Sundays at 10:45 AM. To make following the blog easier you can also register. You can also join us on Facebook at Cornerstone Forest City. Also, don’t forget to download our APP on iTunes  or Googleplay.