Are You Afraid Of Loss?

Recently I wrote a post in which (tongue in cheek) I called myself a practical atheist and challenged readers to ask themselves some tough questions. Good or bad, that post generated more controversial comments and discussion than any other I have published. In an effort to clarify my intent, and hopefully clear my name, I thought it would be good to do a follow up post on the intended subject of true faith and how fear of loss can affect it.

loss

Walk vs. Talk

Let’s start by reading from James 2. To get the full effect, you should read James 2:14-26, but in the interest of space, here is the core of what I want to discuss:

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?…faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
James 2:14,16

In reading this entire passage, some people think that James is contradicting Paul’s words in Ephesians 2:8-9 when he says we are saved by grace through faith and not by works. Actually, James’ message does not contradict Paul’s, but complements it. James is simply adding that it takes deeds or actions to validate faith. In other words, like I said in my prior post, we can talk all we want to about faith, but the true test is in our actions.

Do They Match?

Do our actions bear out the faith we claim? If we profess to BELIEVE in an all-powerful God, then why do so many of our actions only reflect the confidence we have in ourselves or our team?

Why are we not taking bolder steps in our faith? Why do we not pray throughout the day and trust God’s wisdom to answer the challenges we encounter? Why do we pray quickly in the morning and then go out the door to face the day alone, hoping we have what it takes to overcome and emerge in victory?

Why is it so difficult for us to have those tough conversations with friends, family, or co-workers that we believe are living without a relationship with God? If we BELIEVE God is real and Jesus is truly the only path to Him, then why don’t our daily actions reflect this belief?

Why The Gap?

The more I think about this, the more I believe it comes down to one word: LOSS.

We fear loss.

Maybe it is loss of esteem among our friends, family, or co-workers. It could be loss of wealth or other gain due to being alienated for our beliefs. It might even be that we fear loss of our lives in certain circumstances.

As Christian business owners, we might fear loss of customers, revenue, or even the business itself. Regardless, I believe it is the fear of loss that drives most, if not all, of our actions.

What Does Scripture Say?

The problem with this is that this thinking is in direct opposition to what the Bible teaches us as Christians. We are told, very clearly, that God already owns it ALL (Psalm 50:10-12). We own nothing.

Did you get that? We own nothing therefore there is nothing for us to lose.

We do not even own our very lives…we are not our own; we are bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Why Fear Loss?

If all of this is true (and we SAY we BELIEVE it), then why the fear of loss? Why do we act like “practical” atheists while professing a belief in an amazing God? What will it take to shake us out of this pattern of behavior?

Maybe my last post did not hit the mark that I intended. I take responsibility for that. However, I encourage you on your own to read the Scripture listed below. There will not be much confusion in it! Then take a long look in the mirror and ask yourself two questions:

1.) Do I TRULY BELIEVE what I am reading?
2.) Is there clear, consistent evidence of this belief in my actions?

For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will reward each according to what he has done.
Matthew 16:27

And everyone who has left houses, brothers or sisters, father or mother,[l] children, or fields because of My name will receive 100 times more and will inherit eternal life.
Matthew 19:29

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Matthew 23:12

Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58

You are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1:5

And everyone who has left houses, brothers or sisters, father or mother, children, or fields because of My name will receive 100 times more and will inherit eternal life.
Matthew 19:29

Confessions Of A Practical Atheist

If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, then you probably have the impression that I am a Christian, a disciple of Jesus. You probably think that I believe in Jesus as the Son of God and that I see Him as all powerful, able to work miracles in any situation. Unfortunately, that is not completely true. In fact, I am a practical atheist.

atheist

Atheist Defined

For the sake of today’s discussion, I want us to define the word “atheist” as anyone who does not believe God exists. Based on this definition, I have determined that I am in fact a practical atheist. See if you can follow my logic here.

First of all, let’s look at this from the opposite perspective, that of a believer. If I was truly a believer, it would stand to reason that I would act differently than those around me. While my morality as a believer should be a main driver of my behavior, that is not what I am talking about today.

Faith Drives Behavior

What I want to focus on is true faith. If I was truly a believer and not an atheist, then I would truly believe in the power of God to overcome anything I could throw at Him. I would see Him as bigger than my problems and I would completely trust His promises to be the truth. My behavior, regardless of whether in the workplace, home, or in the community, would reflect this belief.

My faith in an all-powerful God would cause me to act in faith, taking risks where I felt He was leading me. I would not “play it safe”, but would be bold in my actions, especially those relating to what I knew to be His will.

Not only would I act in faith, but I would also pray in faith. A true believer in Jesus would surely pray to Him and call Him on His promise to give wisdom when asked. Regardless of the challenges faced in the workplace, home, or in social situations, a true believer would certainly trust the guidance of an all-powerful God rather than “going it alone,” right?

What About You?

You know we could go on, but let’s just pause right here. Are you getting the picture? Are you seeing some of your behaviors in this description? Do they fit with those of a believer or are they closer to what you might think would be those of an atheist?

Now that we have described the actions of a true believer, let’s contrast them with those of a practical atheist. To be clear, I am not really trying to characterize a full-blown atheist here. Instead, I am saying “practical atheist” because I want to focus on our behaviors that reflect a lack of faith in practical matters.

Practical Atheist

A practical atheist might be someone like you or me that professes our faith and talks about how much God has done for us. At the same time, if we look closely enough, it is unlikely we will see any history of taking huge risks for the kingdom.

A practical atheist talks about faith, but never really exercises it. Instead of huge risks or taking on extreme challenges that would only succeed with intervention from God, they are more likely to shy away from anything they cannot imagine achieving on their own. If they think they can do it, they will. If they think it would require a miracle, they pass.

Is This Familiar?

Is this you? Are you able to look back in your walk and see times when you took on a challenge or risk that could only be accomplished with help from God? If you can, then good for you! If not,…why not? Isn’t your God all-powerful and able to accomplish anything? Why aren’t you living like this is the truth?

Enough about risks and challenges. What about prayer? A practical atheist may believe there is a God, but there is little to no evidence of it in their prayer life. Sure, they may tell people they will pray for them. They may even do it, but you won’t find much faith in that prayer.

No Expectation Or Hope

Moving into the workplace, a practical atheist makes decisions on their own. Because they do not have true faith that God is there and will absolutely answer their prayers, they really don’t put much faith in them. Maybe they pray daily, but it is not done with expectation and hope in an answer.

At home, they wish things were different, but they only focus on what they themselves can change (or not) rather than going to God in earnest prayer for revelation and change. Instead of placing their burdens before an all-knowing God, they carry them around in worry. They hope for a day when they are big enough to overcome the challenges, but they ignore the promises of a God that already is.

I Am A Practical Atheist

A practical atheist lives and acts as if there is no God when it comes to the practical situations in life. In the interest of transparency, I believe I am one of these people. Sure, I believe in Jesus and have a relationship with Him. However, when I examine my life, I find very little evidence of a REAL faith in Who He is and what He can do.

I encourage you to look in the mirror and ask yourself some tough questions. Are you a practical atheist or are you acting with a faith that can move mountains? I am asking myself these very questions.

Are you guilty of atheist behavior?

Where do you need to exercise more faith?

How could your life look with behavior based on total faith?