Romans 12:3 is one of those “no-excuse” scriptures. The Apostle Paul teaches that “God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” My take is that Jesus is an equal-opportunity savior. Whether it’s an unrelenting atheist or an undiscovered aborigine, each is granted an internal nibblet that prods them toward their Creator. But is each one’s nibblet the same size?
QUESTIONS SCRIBBLED ON MY HEART’S WALL:
1. Has each one been given the same measure of faith? If so, then why does it seem that some people have more faith than others? Of course, some brag about all the faith they have; yet it seems that these folks are sometimes the most spiritually insecure. Then there are others who live on an unassuming level but who excel in faith – on a level I wish I had.
2. Perhaps God has not granted equal measures of faith. The term “measure” brings to mind measuring spoons and cups in the kitchen drawer. In Romans 12 Paul also says, “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith . . .” (verse 6). Does this suggest that people have differing “proportions” or “portions” of faith? If so, then why was I granted a measly Tablespoon of faith? Why didn’t I get the quarter cup, half cup, or even a heaping whole cup of faith? Okay, I’ll lower the lighting rod of my complaint and confess that I am grateful that at least I got a Tablespoon. It could be a teaspoon.
3. My questions swell when I the 1 Corinthians 12:9 reference to the “gift of faith” - a gift among many gifts of which the “Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills” (verse 11) and verse 29-30 where Paul asks, “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?”
4. Puzzling everything from Romans and Corinthians, I get the impression that while each has been given an original “measure of faith” some lucky few get an additional “gift of faith”. Perhaps it’s like an octane booster additive for the tank of gas. Whatever it is, I wish I had it. My faith is like my singing. I sound glorious when my voice is engulfed by all the other choir voices – but when I miss my cue, I really sound awful. Similarly, my faith stands tall when surrounded by the faith of others, but as a standalone entity it’s often falters. In Louisiana, an elderly shut-in remarked that her headache went away after I prayed for her. Going through my mind as I prayed was, “Lady, after I’m done praying, take some Tylenol and go to bed.” Don’t misunderstand me - yes I believe God heals – but it is fully God who heals, not me!
5. Digging deeper, perhaps the “kitchen measuring utensils” model of faith is flawed. Paul talks in Romans 14:1 about “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye . . .”. Is it possible that the measure of faith is less of a quantitative measure and more of a qualitative measure? I’m blogging at Star Bucks and I’m often challenged by the coffee choices. From a quantitative standpoint, it would be easier if they just offered “small”, “medium”, and “large”. Nope, my “small” is their “Short” and my “medium” is their “Tall”, and my large is their “Grande” and then there’s the extra large cup – the “Venti”. What’s a “Venti”? And then there’s the choice of brew strength – there’s a light roast, a medium roast, and then a bold espresso flavor. Whatever happened to just ordering a normal cup of coffee? Amber says I’m terribly menu-challenged. Back to faith – perhaps this “measure of faith” is less about the size of the cup, but more about brew strength. Some prefer the morning blend. Others like it robust. When I pastored in Louisiana, there was only one brew strength. It wasn’t Cajun coffee if it wasn’t strong enough to dissolve the spoon!
6. A few months ago, Amber got a package of coffee that wasn’t ground up well. As a result, the coffee brewed weak. It looked like tea. Staying with the “brew-strength” model of faith, could it be that the strongest faith is that which has been ground up the most? Coffee beans that are not pulverized thoroughly don’t make good coffee. They need to be crushed and mutilated for the flavor to come out and mix with the hot water to make the perfect cup of coffee. Could it be that those who’ve been most crushed and broken by life’s circumstances are perhaps the candidates for the strongest brew-strength of faith? Could it be that those who feel weakest in faith (beat-up, challenged, and even exasperated in their faith) are perhaps those who, in God’s eyes, may actually be the strongest in faith? Is the measure of faith really the mountains vanquished from one’s path, or is it the steadfastness of one whose mountains never seem to vanish?
My Prayer: God, I’m not asking for the largest cup. But at least make mine Cajun.
