What’s a “Crazy Faith”? - 4 Steps to a Crazy Faith

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (James 1:2-4, NLT)

This set of readings is motivated by personal experience.

Recently, I fell ill with an undiagnosed condition, underwent every kind of imaginable medical test, and spent five days in a hospital – all with no result, while the condition just kept worsening and doctors kept scratching their heads.

Things finally settled down, but along the way, there was plenty of uncertainty and some very real middle-of-the-night talks with God.

You may have experienced similar situations, loaded with uncertainty and stress… and, maybe you also drew closer to God through that experience.

Many of us have been there. It could even be part of God’s plan to get our attention, right? Or, maybe it’s all part of the plan, just like the Bible says?

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28, NIV)

In my case, a comment by a friend helped me see what God had actually brought about. Sometime after the original struggle, a different challenge came up and my response to that situation caused my friend to blurt out that I had a “Crazy Faith” – a faith so strong, so real and so effective that she wanted it too.

Huh? Was I so special? Did God bring about such a change in my life? What made her think my faith was so special that she wanted it too? I didn’t think I said anything about it, but I guess real faith just makes itself visible in some way…

So I spent some months reflecting on what this “Crazy Faith” might be, and what made my friend think that I had something special.

Lots of quiet time, continued Bible reading, keeping up a prayer conversation with God… and finally, I think I know what this lady means by my “Crazy Faith” and how it relates to Jesus’ invitation for us to follow him.

In these readings, I want to share four steps by which you too can get a faith that is so strong, so real, and so able to overcome any problem that others too will see it as a “Crazy Faith.”

In showing you these four steps, we’ll follow the model of a farmer:

• Get the right mindset to plant and wait.
• Don’t listen to nonfarmers who think they know.
• Prepare the soil for the seedlings.
• Feed the seedlings good stuff so they can grow.

Will you join me?

Additional Scriptures:

Isaiah 40:28-31