A Secret Faith is a Shallow Faith:
Mark 10:51 says, "Jesus asked him [Bartimaeus] 'What do you want me to do for you?' The blind man answered, 'Teacher, I want to see'" (NCV).
Question: Why in the world did Jesus ask this? He walks over to a blind beggar who's sitting on the ground by the road and asks, "What would you like me to do for you?" Didn't he already know what the guy needed? Couldn't he read his mind? Didn't he know what the guy's problem was? Absolutely. So why in the world would Jesus look at him and say, "What do you want me to do for you?"
He was doing it for Bartimaeus' benefit. By asking that question, he allowed Bartimaeus to publicly announce his faith. Bartimaeus said, "I want you to heal me!" You don't ask a guy to heal you unless you believe and have faith that he can do it. He's saying that he believed Jesus was who he said he was, that Jesus had the power to change him, and that Jesus would do just that. It was a statement of faith.
Here's the amazing thing. Jesus asks you the very same question right now: "What do you want me to do for you?" He asks it every day, every morning. If Jesus Christ were to come to you right now and ask that question, how would you answer? God wants to use you. He wants to bless you. He wants to do incredible things in your life. But you have to ask in faith.
Did you know that every time you set a goal, it is actually a statement of faith? There is one qualifier: When you set a goal and say, "I'm going to do 'this' with my life," you need to add the phrase, "if it is God's will," because you don't know the future.
You should also announce your goal publicly. The more people who know, the more support, encouragement, prayer, and accountability you'll have. If you want to make a major change in your life and you keep it to yourself, that's a sign of a pretty shallow faith.
Talk About It
The first way God wants you to announce your faith is to be baptized. Baptism is a public announcement of your faith in Jesus Christ and a symbol of a new life in Christ. What steps do you need to take to be obedient to Christ in baptism?
What goals are you going to set today that are a step of faith? In what way will you announce them publicly?
Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America's largest and most influential churches. Rick is author of the New York Times bestseller "The Purpose Driven Life." His book, "The Purpose Driven Church," was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. He is also the founder of Pastors.com, a global Internet community for pastors.
This devotional ©2012 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
"Jesus asked him, 'What do you want me to do for you?' The blind man answered, 'Teacher, I want to see.'" (Mark 10:51 NCV)
Go public with your goals in life! Announce your intention, the change you want to make in your life, what you're asking God to do. Clarify what you really want, and then state it publicly. You need to tell everybody, because a secret faith is a shallow faith.Mark 10:51 says, "Jesus asked him [Bartimaeus] 'What do you want me to do for you?' The blind man answered, 'Teacher, I want to see'" (NCV).
Question: Why in the world did Jesus ask this? He walks over to a blind beggar who's sitting on the ground by the road and asks, "What would you like me to do for you?" Didn't he already know what the guy needed? Couldn't he read his mind? Didn't he know what the guy's problem was? Absolutely. So why in the world would Jesus look at him and say, "What do you want me to do for you?"
He was doing it for Bartimaeus' benefit. By asking that question, he allowed Bartimaeus to publicly announce his faith. Bartimaeus said, "I want you to heal me!" You don't ask a guy to heal you unless you believe and have faith that he can do it. He's saying that he believed Jesus was who he said he was, that Jesus had the power to change him, and that Jesus would do just that. It was a statement of faith.
Here's the amazing thing. Jesus asks you the very same question right now: "What do you want me to do for you?" He asks it every day, every morning. If Jesus Christ were to come to you right now and ask that question, how would you answer? God wants to use you. He wants to bless you. He wants to do incredible things in your life. But you have to ask in faith.
Did you know that every time you set a goal, it is actually a statement of faith? There is one qualifier: When you set a goal and say, "I'm going to do 'this' with my life," you need to add the phrase, "if it is God's will," because you don't know the future.
You should also announce your goal publicly. The more people who know, the more support, encouragement, prayer, and accountability you'll have. If you want to make a major change in your life and you keep it to yourself, that's a sign of a pretty shallow faith.
Talk About It
The first way God wants you to announce your faith is to be baptized. Baptism is a public announcement of your faith in Jesus Christ and a symbol of a new life in Christ. What steps do you need to take to be obedient to Christ in baptism?
What goals are you going to set today that are a step of faith? In what way will you announce them publicly?
Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America's largest and most influential churches. Rick is author of the New York Times bestseller "The Purpose Driven Life." His book, "The Purpose Driven Church," was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. He is also the founder of Pastors.com, a global Internet community for pastors.
This devotional ©2012 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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