Faith vs. Foolishness…Just say “NO!”
June 1, 2010 by Admin
Filed under Family, Life & Style, Leaders, Relationships
By Bishop Clifford and Pamela Frazier
This is a true and unembellished story. Some years ago, a sincere but naïve Christian woman, motivated by the hype of the hyper faith movement, walked into a local Chevrolet dealership and purchased a car outright, which she paid for by check. The dealership accepted her check and handed her the keys. A few days later the check was returned for insufficient funds. The car company pursued the lady and had her arrested. When she was interviewed and asked why she wrote a bogus check, she immediately replied that she wrote the check by faith knowing that her God would make it good.
She was so sincere that the dealership dropped the charges and worked out a plan for her to pay for the car. Now, you may say, “Well, her faith did work!—She ended up with the car.†But, on the other hand, mature and reasonable people will rebut such foolishness and surmise that the woman probably received mercy because of her naïveté and ignorance.
This story serves as a backdrop for introducing a philosophy in which far too many people operate that of a “faith fantasy†lifestyle falsely labeled “positive thinking†or “faith walking.â€
A “faith fantasy†philosophy/lifestyle demands that everything in the environment must be positive; negativity is not tolerated. This lifestyle promises that you can have whatever you want, do and say whatever you want; and good things will come to you. Saying or hearing the word, “No†is demonic and deposes true faith. Unfortunately, this mindset causes many of today’s ills in our families and society; and results in unrealistic expectations and a false sense of entitlement in children and the adults they grow up to be.
“The Power of No!â€
Truthfully, there is a legitimate and necessary place for “No†in our lives and homes. “No†is powerful, therapeutic, and essential for the development of balance, endurance and tenacity. “No†produces creativity, discipline, initiative, patience and strength of character. “No†provides salvation from horrible experiences, disease and life-diminishing (sometimes irreversible) dire circumstances.
Children need to hear “Noâ€, and parents need to say “Noâ€, at least sometimes. Learning early on to submit to “No†can make the difference between life and death. Parents must infuse in their “No’s†the power to stop children in their tracks. We must judiciously use the power tool of “No†to keep our children home and away from predacious environments that would rob them of their innocence and productive futures.
“No†is not only for children but also for adults. So many of the “…griefs and pains we bear†can be linked back to decisions we made choosing “Yes†rather than “No.†Relationships, purchases, gleeful acceptance of unsolicited credit cards, abruptly quitting jobs rather than following unacceptable directions are all decisions that would have benefitted from the use of “No.â€
You may wonder, “Why is “No†so distasteful?†Well, the answer is a bit complicated. Most of us feel a sense of entitlement regarding our desires and do not wish to be denied by hearing the answer, “Noâ€. Sociologists and psychologists suggest that to- day’s culture is in a state of metamorphosis turning from a selfsacrificing, hardworking, purpose driven culture to a selfcentered, aimless, selfserving populace. However, such a blanket assessment is too simplistic and most certainly not always true.
Actually, the stigma associated with “No†affects us in ways that cut to the core of our being. We infer rejection when we’re told “Noâ€. Our dreams and goals are frustrated by “Noâ€.
Consequently, we have developed a social theology rejecting as “sin†all negativity. Indeed even grammarians spank us when we include double negatives in our sentences.
Fortunately, attempts to totally expel “No†and any associated forms of negativity are (here is another negative) doomed to fail.
Consider this. One of the essential parts in all cars is the battery. Curiously protruding from its top are two poles one is labeled positive, but the other is labeled negative; both are necessary to access the battery’s power.
So, while we embrace the powerful truth that being positive and prepared will deliver satisfying results, we also must recognize that the judicious use of “No†is critical for character building and success in life.
May the Lord bless you and remember, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.â€
You are on point! The name it and claim it prosperity message was preached and taught out of season, with consequences and without the means to acquire life’s blessings the right way: HIS! Too many Christians got caught up in getting the world’s material things and lost sight of the Kingdom, if they ever knew what that was about in the 1st place. When you study kingdom principles, which was Jesus’ top priority, you get what you need daily and then He gives you the “keys” to get the desires of your heart. Too bad those who still preach prosperity without perspective, missed the mark altogether. Blessings,
Excellent post. It is sometimes confusing to know just how to apply faith, and this really helps to draw that line.
I know that Faith is the substance of things hope for..the evidence of things not seen..but i certainly will not write a check and Know good and well there isn’t any monies there to cover..The lady showed that she had no wisdom and should have asked God for ‘wisdom and knowledge’..now she may have a criminal record that will follow her for the rest of her live..WHat she should have do was read the book of James..’faith without works is dead’..and get a job and save up for the car or just wait for her miracle..
Great points made. The lady acted foolish because if God told her this she would not have broken the law to obtain the car. The Bible states to obey the laws of the land.Yes we belelive in miracles and prospering in due season as we have obeyed the Word of God , worked hard and matured to handle finances. All this hype and foolishness thur the years have hurt the body of Christ and the message of the true gospel and made us appear so foolish.
Thanks for a timely message. I have been overwhelmed with the speak positive messages. We need balance in our lives even when we are believing God for “things”! God promises to supply our needs but we are to be responsible and able to handle what He entrusts us with. The blessings will come in His time. Lord, please give us wisdom, guidance, and direction to follow you and not bring shame to your name.
Great article!!! “Faith without works is dead…”!!!
This article prompted an in depth discussion of faith between me and my hubby. To be sure, we as Christians need to be mindful of prosperity preaching and undeserved entitlement. I believe the title describes the FAITH of the dealer who had the strength and wisdom to turn a FOOLISH woman into a believer who applied honest work for her faith. My God would never condone defrauding another in his name just for material gain. However, he would certainly bless a compassionate soul to use such an act to teach a spiritual lesson as the dealer did in this case. If this story is true, I certainly hope the woman came away from the dealer rectified in her faith. Instead of blindly feeling entitled to other things.
Many people practice a kind of “vending machine” faith. Put in your tithes, press the button and expect a blessing. Even in the midst of the Garden of Eden when mankind had every comfort and want he could ever need; there still stood a directive from God himself, “not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge and tree of life.” We are to submit to His will JOYFULLY and even the weight of his discipline will be an easy yoke to bear.
The Bible does state; “that faith without works is dead” and this is true. My name is faith and God has me walk according to my name. So each day I walk by faith not by sight. Abraham was told to sacrifice Issac and according to his faith he was obedient to God believing that God would provide and He did; a ram in a brush. The Holy Ghost leads, guides, and directs are path. His leading isn’t based on the natural eyesight, it is based on the spiritual. I have been told many a time to go places by the Holy Ghost with no money and He has never failed to provide for every need I had. Obedience is better than sacrifice. Walking by faith must be lead by the Holy Ghost as children of God we are suppose to listen and be intune to the Holy Ghost everyday of are lives. The works that is spoken within the context of this scripture relates to the works of the Holy Ghost without His guides you have no faith. Working in saving money isn’t faith, its just using common sense. It’s different when the Holy Ghost tells you to go to a car dealship and tell them you want a certain vehicle and you have no money for a down payment and your credit is bad and hour later you walk out of the dealship with a new car no money down and a low interest rate load, thats God and that happen to me. Faith is believing that God will provide no matter what the circumstances looks like. The question is was this woman walking according to the Holy Ghost direction or was she walking according to the flesh? Let’s take a close look at the story this woman provide the car dealship with check that she had no money to back the check. Yet, when the dealer was ready to arrest her the faith she had in God was strong that the dealer was succomb by her faith that he worked with her to keep the car and her faith may have changed his life and those that heard her testimony. Thinking positively about yourself and others isn’t bad according to scientific empirical base research it has been proven to be true that having a positive outlook draws positive things to you. It uplifts the soul bring good health and strength to the body. Jesus always spoke with words that uplifted the soul and renew the spirit, He wasn’t judgemental. I pray that God will provide His truth to those who seek it when it comes to truly walking by faith.
This was an insightful article. It can be hard to accept the word No. However sometimes the best thing you can tell a person is exactly that.
Be Blessed,
RiverAngel42
http://onlinefellowship.org