Courageous Faith

Courageous Faith

 

Being reckless causes worry. Reckless investors worry. Reckless fantasies and reckless sexuality cause worry.

Therefore it’s vital to be careful. Actually, being a Christian is the most conservative and safe lifestyle we can live.  If we love God and don’t worry, we adopt the safest form of life possible.

Conversely, one must be a little reckless in order to do well. When instructors teach skiing, they say “You have to be a little of a fool to be a good skier.” When the instructor says to be a little foolish, he’s not telling us to go and break a leg (as I’ve done). He’s telling us to relax and not worry too much. Otherwise we can’t get the truly great feeling of skiing.

In other words, we can’t be overly anxious. We have to free ourselves from worried and every little concern. We have to be a little bit of a fool. A person who is free of the obsessions of worry is able to do a good job-and enjoys ever area of life.

When we’re totally relaxed in skiing, we can do something called “anticipation,” which is just dropping down on the lower ski and letting the rebound phenomenon carry us around into a turn. It is almost effortless to do mid-turns as we get the motions down. The more we relax, the more effortless skiing becomes.

This is true in daily life as well. Worry keeps us from being courageous in our families and friendships and in our service to God. If we will just relax and come back to the basics of a simpler life, the normal routine will take care of us. In the spiritual life, if we go back to the basics of faith and trust, life becomes easy as skiing becomes easy.

We learn to drop down in anticipation in a ski maneuver that makes skiing effortless. In life, we drop down on our knees in prayers and commit our lives to Christ, turning everything over to Him. Then, when we stand up, the run (either on the ski slope or in life) is smoother. There’s very little effort. No pushing, shoving or twisting. Both allow us to perform our runs in a smoother, easier, more tranquil way, with less energy, less worry, less effort.

When we can do with less, and material things aren’t important to us, we demonstrate our faith in Jahovah-Jireh, the God who provides.

Be Strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.      _Deuteronomy 31:6

A Thnkful Heart "James Gillis, M.D."