The Boulder and the Toothpick

“If you place your faith on anything other than God it’s like placing a BOULDER on a TOOTHPICK.”

– Matt Papa, “Jesus: The Truer and Better Object of Faith,” the Summit Church, July 15, 2012

We all have faith in something that we believe will give us happiness, make us rich, make us smart, make us popular… that will save us.  Our faith has an enormous weight as we place hopes, dreams, fears, and desires upon the object of our affection. 

By way of illustration, let me provide a few examples.  A college student might place her faith in attending medical school, for surely that career path will provide a fat salary, which will of course lead to happiness.  Thinking that boys determine her value, a high school girl might put her faith in beauty, starving herself to achieve the “perfect” body that will finally attract the coveted attention of the cute boy in second period.  A mother might put her faith in raising perfect children, knowing that their behavior, abilities, and personalities are a reflection of her worth as a woman.  A career woman might put her faith in climbing the corporate ladder, dreaming of a bigger office and longer title that will prove her value as a professional.  The newlyweds might place their faith in the American Dream, buying new cars, purchasing a home over their budget, shopping for new gadgets and clothing, and taking extravagant vacations… only to find out that the American Dream is really the American Nightmare, which enslaves them to debt in the name of “bigger and better.”

You see where I’m going with this, right?  There is always something that is trying to capture your affections, something that promises to fulfill the desires of your heart.  And those desires tend to snowball out of control until we fall flat on our faces.  The things of this world can never, under any circumstances, sustain the sheer weight of your faith.  It will always let you down, failing to meet up to the expectations you set upon it.  You will never be fully satisfied in anything other than God.  He is the only one who can ultimately bear the weight of your faith, which was made perfect when Jesus Christ bore the weight of your cross, your sin, and your death on his shoulders.  Putting your faith in God means putting your faith in the One who can satisfy, who can bring joy, who can dry tears, who can provide, who can make you whole.  Rest in God and place the full weight of your faith on Him alone.