We want our lives to matter. We want these few days we spend here to mean
something. We want some sort of impact. Well, if we really want impact, we’ve
got to allow the amplifying power of the Holy Spirit to work through us—by
being willing to act in faith. When we act alone (as we so often do), we do so
with our own strength. But when we act in faith, our actions are amplified by
the strength of a great and powerful God. Men and women acting in faith have
“stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of
the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put
foreign armies to flight”.
The surprising thing about acting in faith is that—unlike when we act
alone—it’s not our skill, nor our cleverness, that determines the magnitude of
impact. When the Apostle Paul worked to start the church in Corinth, he spoke
“in weakness and in fear,” lacking “plausible words of wisdom”. He must have
doubted whether he’d had any impact at all. But the church was established
nonetheless. “God’s Spirit and God’s power did it,” through Paul’s seemingly
unimpressive actions, taken in faith.
Just do something. Choose something practical, something that fits within the
great commandments, and something that’s too big. Go ahead and get in over-
your-head. Tackle the problem that’s been on your heart. Tell someone about
your faith. Help that person who’s hard to love. Things might not turn out as
you expect, of course—or with the timing you’d like. Trust, though, if you do
act, you’ll begin to have the impact for which you’re meant.
