foxhole faith or living faith
“There are no atheists in foxholes.”
Piggy backing off my writing from last week, from mess to message, I want to focus on how our message often gets developed in the midst of our mess, but, keeping in mind that we don’t have to have a messy life or find ourselves in a foxhole to have a message. God has given us all a journey with all sorts of twists and turns. Some of those are self-induced, some are just because of the world we live in, and yes, even some of those dark moments He allows, and we might not ever know why, but rest assured, they are all part of building and strengthening our faith and our message.
To be clear, God’s desire, is for us to have faith well beyond a foxhole.
The quote, “There are no atheists in foxholes,” is widely known and comes from the military. It is an aphorism that is frequently used to suggest that times of extreme stress or fear can prompt the need for a belief in a higher power, a power that can rescue us from danger. Such a sudden conversion has been called a foxhole conversion, or foxhole commitment. We make all sorts of promises, and “deals” are waged with God when we realize we cannot save ourselves and our backs are against the wall.
Military members, especially those who have seen war up close, can attest to experiencing such moments personally, or witnessing other comrades as they experienced them. These moments are completely understandable, but it’s a sad fact that foxhole commitments rarely ever last beyond the rescue. These are not commitments that develop deep roots. Therefore the faith is weak and withers and dries up.
photo by Ice Tea @magicetea
Fear is often a catalyst that motivates us to seek a “higher-power,” someone to rescue us and to free us from our distress. Truth is, most of us, but by the grace of God, will never have to experience being forced to hide for protection in a foxhole. So, putting off knowing Jesus, finding the peace, and not knowing the transformation that comes from knowing Him will be what you miss out on if a foxhole conversion is what it will take for you to surrender your pride or fear.
Truth is, we don’t have to be in the military to experience the pit of fear and despair, or to come to the end of ourselves and realize we can’t save ourselves. Just going about our day-to-day lives we can find ourselves in the depths of darkness and overwhelmed with anxiety and fear. Just leaving a doctor’s appointment with unexpected news or getting a call from a loved one can change everything in an instant.
In this life, we can face giants that are terrifying. This is exactly why I want to encourage you today, do not wait until you are in these moments to find Jesus. Don’t wait until you are full of fear before you try to find your faith. Why would you want to live your life without the peace that passes all understanding every day, not just when your back’s against the wall?
God desires us to have a living faith, a faith that goes well beyond foxhole faith, and here is why…
“The Lord wants you to move from the foxhole faith that solves your crisis, to the mature, saving faith of eternal life.”
“The Lord often graciously meets us at our point of crisis, but that’s just the beginning. He wants us to believe in and follow Him not only because He delivered us from our crisis, but also because He is the only Savior and Lord. He is worthy of our trust because of who He is.” (bible.org-foxhole-faith-saving-faith)
Jesus doesn’t want us to keep Him like a genie in a bottle, up on a shelf or hidden away until there’s a crisis, until we are in a foxhole. He longs for us to have the peace that He offers us in all our trials and pain. He wants to know us and for us to know Him. We shouldn’t just pray when we need Him. When our backs are against the wall, and we feel like we have no other option.
photo by Jon Tyson @jontyson
“Christianity is not a message which has to be believed, but an experience of faith that becomes a message.” ~Edward Schillebeeckx
There are people in this world, truth be told, I am one of them, who keeps a running dialogue with God. I am constantly in communication with Him, telling Him everything about my day, my feelings, frustrations, you name it. I talk to God like He is my best friend, even though I do not audibly hear Him speaking to me. I know He often does though, often through my family, friends, strangers, nature, and music. He speaks in all sorts of ways.
By living out my faith, while not always perfect, I have experienced God’s faithfulness which is now my message. My relationship with Jesus deepens and continues to grow especially as I spend time in prayer. I am able to find an unexplainable sense of peace in the midst of my trials. He doesn’t remove my circumstances or challenges, but He calms my fears and I have a sense of assurance that no matter what, I will never walk alone through the fires that He will use to shape and mold me.
Something to consider: Is foxhole faith enough faith to save a person? Would you say you have a foxhole faith or a living faith? What are some of the reasons our prayers aren’t answered immediately or ever? Do you believe it is crucial to come to Jesus because of who He is, or what He can do for us?
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