Butt-kicking Faith

...she came trembling and fell down before Him

 [knowing she was publicly found out and was healed]

In the story of Jesus healing a woman who had been chronically hemorrhaging for many years (Mark 5:25 and Luke 8:43), we typically note her faith that caused her to reach out and touch.  Seldom do we recognize her fear, but there may be an important insight here.  Just as Peter, in faith, jumped out of the boat and took a few steps on the water toward Jesus, then experienced a ‘crisis of faith’ as he began to sink, this woman had a sudden plunge from ‘great faith’ to considerable fear.  I have pondered this point many times as I have fallen countless times in the exact same trap!  Here is some of what I am still learning.

Have you ever noticed that, in the English language, fear is both a verb and a noun, whereas faith is strictly a noun, with a corresponding verb – to believe?  So why do we speak of fear as if it is a monolith?  Since fear is a ‘necessary aspect’ of faith, it warrants a bit of unpacking to ensure we have and maintain the correct perspective.

Ok, does the title of this post stir your imagination and desire to achieve this kind of faith?  And does the notion of fear being 'a necessary aspect of faith' make you bristle, as it did with me?  If so, stay tuned!

In English, fear refers to both a verb (to be afraid) and to nouns.  In noun form, fear is an emotion, a spirit, and a spiritual energy or force.  The spirit of fear is satan's chief lieutenant who specializes in perverting the forces of love and faith to achieve satan's objectives.  The force or energy of fear is simply faith, corrupted or perverted.  Read that again.  The root of fear IS faith – faith that has been hijacked, twisted and inverted.

Consider the clear example of energy that derives from fuel ignited in your car’s engine.  Let’s call the fuel ‘love’.  When ignited, your car can be driven forward.  Let’s call that ‘faith’, moving toward or believing ‘unseen things hoped for’ (Hebrews 11:1).  But this same energy or force also enables your car to be driven in reverse.  Let’s call that ‘fear’, moving toward or believing ‘unseen things not hoped for’.  Satan has successfully perverted every good thing God created.  In this example, fear is faith going in the opposite, unintended, undesired direction.  It is the same creative force that becomes destructive when in reverse gear.  Faith and fear, therefore, coexist, just as the fuel in your tank offers the opportunity for your car to be driven forward or in reverse.

Consider the example of a balloon inflated.  Let’s call the air pressure inside ‘faith’, and the air pressure outside ‘fear’.  The external air pressure/fear is ever present in our world, yet the opportunity to overcome it must be developed, with effort.  When inflated, the air pressure inside the balloon is greater than the air pressure outside, yet equilibrium has been reached to enable the balloon to remain inflated. Immersing the balloon in water or releasing it to float upward into the atmosphere changes the external pressures impacting the balloon.

Finally, consider a typical arm wrestling match of fellows of roughly equal strength. Until one fellow fatigues or gets a burst of energy/enthusiasm, the match is stagnant (an equilibrium is maintained), with no winner/loser.

In all these examples, the desired objectives cannot be achieved without the presence or opportunity of the opposite.  A normal car cannot only drive forward without the option of going in reverse; a balloon cannot be inflated without the option of being deflated, and an arm wrestling match cannot be won without the option of being lost.  Similarly, fear and faith must and do co-exist in our current world. 

So what does it mean to ‘cast off fear’, per 1 John 4:18, which says "Perfect love casts off fear"?  There are many interpretations.  Here are mine.

·      Only God is love perfected, and He did cast out of His Heaven satan and his crew of evil/corrupted spirits, including the spirit of fear!

·      Similar to the examples above, we have the option and ability to apply faith to ‘drive forward’, ‘keep the balloon inflated’, and ‘win the arm wrestling match’, thus overcoming fear – the nouns (the emotion and the spiritual energy or force of fear), and fearing (the verb, being afraid).

·      We also have the ability to bind and resist the operations of the spirit of fear, recognizing the opportunity to fear is ever present in this life. 

The opportunity to fear is indeed ever present, just like the air pressure surrounding an inflated balloon.  In this life, we have the ever-present opportunity to believe unseen things -- either those we hope and believe for, or those we do not want and are afraid they will erupt.    

So what is butt-kicking faith?  This is simply the fruit of (mustard) seed faith -- developed.

The good news is we don't necessarily need "great faith" to conquer most, fear-laden tests of our adversary.  It only takes "more faith than fear” in order to resist and eventually overcome, just as with Peter walking on the water, the hemorrhaging woman who reached out and touched Christ, and the arm wrestling match.  How much more depends on the nature and extent of the outside pressure (as with the balloon example).  This is NoT to suggest we should be satisfied with little/seed faith.  God does all things (except miracles) via the seed, time and harvest law.  He stuffs purposeful DNA into all seed, including the seed faith you and I have been given.  Our seed faith has in it the DNA of our ability not only to receive eternal life, but also to live the abundant life Christ promises. Clearly, the potential and fruit of seed faith need to be developed.

The devil is evil, but not totally stupid.  Just like fear is not a monolith, neither is faith.  If your small, mustard seed faith has successfully repelled his initial attack, he can easily ‘recalculate and recalibrate’ to find an attack that is bigger than your current faith.  Or if you have well developed faith for A, B and C, he can easily attack where your faith is weakest, at points X, Y and Z.  Again, faith is not a monolith.  We can and must develop faith for literally every aspect of life.  This is why I dislike the concept of trying to 'move mountains' with only (mustard) seed-sized faith!  We too often misuse the Scripture verses on mustard seed faith.  Consider this: If Jesus intended us to move mountains with mustard seed-sized faith, He would not have wasted time distinguishing between 'great faith' and 'little faith'.  Makes sense?  Rather, be wiser and smarter than our common enemy, and recognize:

any unplanted, undeveloped seed

has never produced any fruit!

Remember, butt-kicking faith is the fruit of (mustard) seed faith developed. 

The next time we hear someone comment that 'it only takes mustard seed faith', let’s remember to ask the person, “Has an unplanted, undeveloped mustard seed ever put mustard on your hot dog?”  Just as this is impossible, it is also impossible to have butt-kicking faith from intentionally undeveloped 'mustard seed' faith!  We might also ask the person, "Do you think Jesus is pleased with mustard seed faith remaining a seed?"

Here’s a hopefully helpful tip:  Air pressure pushes upward.  Just as an inflated balloon released into the atmosphere or immersed into water rises, we can allow the pressures and torments of fear (in any form, nouns or verb) to push us to look upward and rise in overcoming, butt-kicking faith!