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WISHBONE FAITH
One of the Thanksgiving traditions I can remember is the breaking of the
wishbone. Two lucky kids of the day were honored to be the pullers. It was funny
as they jockeyed and schemed their plans to get the advantage on the bone. As
you probably remember, the one with the largest portion of the bone, after the
big break, won the contest. The competition was often pretty intense because
each child wanted the honor of the big wish. I thought about this age-old childish game at the close of our Thanksgiving
day. I mused that it is very similar to the faith pull game in our Christian
life. (I know … faith is not a game – but we often make it one.) Here’s what I mean: Our faith is often considered more valid if we are
successful in demonstrating that we have the larger portion. We tend to judge
our faith, and that of others, by whether we hold a large or small portion of
the bone. This thinking has created the Wishbone Faith Theology that permeates
the Christian church. It is a one-upmanship kind of faith that boasts, “If you don’t get your
prayer answered it’s because you got the small portion of the bone!” This kind
of faith creates a caste system in the church as people are relegated to a lower
place of honor. In Luke 17:5, the disciples asked the Lord to increase their faith. It was
not a request for individual superiority but rather a plea for collective
unanimity. The Apostle Paul proclaims the power of faith in Romans 1:17 - “For
therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is
written. The just shall live by faith.” To negate the wishbone mentality of his day, he continues in Romans 12:3:
- “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among
you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think
soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”
I have always stood on the principle of faith as it is exposed in Hebrews
11:6 – “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh
to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him.” The "HE IS" qualifier is the measuring stick of faith. It may be the
only portion you have but it is the only portion you need! Don’t buy into the
“greater faith” hype. Nothing can surpass the faith that enables you to believe
that HE IS. Don’t allow anyone to demean your walk with the Lord by playing the wishbone
faith game. Your walk with the Lord is your walk. The measure of faith He has
given you is abundantly able to meet any need in your life. I pray the Lord blesses you today. Warmly, in His love and life, Roland Scroggins © 2007