Faith it until You make it
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Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.
In society today, there is a lack of authenticity, and simultaneously a push and almost a promotion for inauthenticity. Society has grown apt in the deceit of appearances that it has hidden a vicious concept in the most innocent vehicles. Rather than being labeled as a liar for intentionally speaking non factual or truthful information, it is more acceptable to personify as something untruthful and hide in the safety of ignorance. The deceit of authenticity appears in movies,
the discovery of a false version of historic art
a double agent working for both good and evil
It appears in the world of fashion
knock off versions of branded clothing
2nd and 3rd markets
It appears trends in the education arena
plagiarism
The deceit of authenticity has been around for over a hundreds of years and while all forms of it are not always meant for ill or evil intent, its widespread acceptance as a common and thereby normal behavior, unfortunately has influenced the body. In 1968 singers Simon & Garfunkel released a song titles “Fakin It” which within it they sang “And I know I’m faking it, I’m not really making it”, in this we have the earliest known instance of the phrase “Fake it until you Make it”.
This phrase is an aphorism that by imitating the behavior of what one desires, they in time will realize those qualities in themselves and arrive at their mental and internal destination. If I want to get there I must behave like those who already are there. On the surface level this phrase is a positive one, it attempts to get an individual to take on the characteristics of what they so desire that they ultimately “manifest” who they want to be or achieve a goal.
— William James, "The Gospel of Relaxation", On Vital Reserves (1922)
“Action seems to follow feeling, but really action and feeling go together; and by regulating the action, which is under the more direct control of the will, we can indirectly regulate the feeling, which is not. Thus the sovereign voluntary path to cheerfulness, if our spontaneous cheerfulness be lost, is to sit up cheerfully, to look round cheerfully, and to act and speak as if cheerfulness were already there. If such conduct does not make you soon feel cheerful, nothing else on that occasion can. So to feel brave, act as if we were brave, use all our will to that end, and a courage-fit will very likely replace the fit of fear.”
By this account it can be said that by “acting” we can then obtain.
While I would like to say that this kind of thinking is not harmful and relatively new to mankind, I cannot. While I would like to say that this type of behavior is foreign to kingdom citizens, and more intricately the church I can not. Some of us have faked our citizenship, and our participation, adoration and relationship with Christ so much that it’s hard for many of the masses to know who’s real and who isn’t.
This seems to be a rather audacious opening to a sermon that directly involves Jesus and his disciples. Am I a claiming that the disciples were faking or being disingenuous? Absolutely not, yet their faith lacked and authenticity, so much so that Jesus had to ask them a question that I am going to ask on this morning. It’s a question that when asked should make you begin to look internally and begin to do an inner search of oneself.
Jesus in the prime of his Earthly ministry has finished a series or set of teaching and healing. There are multiple times in the gospels where after Jesus exuded virtue, that he would go and rest. After he worked he rested to replenish what was put out. Many times when we see this, Jesus is usually alone. Yet this time he enters a ship with his disciples and he says to them let us go to the other side. This sermon is not me asking or deducing on whether or not Jesus is on your ship, no today we need to discuss a couple of things this text is pulling out post exit.
Are you ready to go to the other side?
What is the other side?
The Other side is your “making it”. It is your purpose, it is your calling, it is taking what God has called you for (purpose), mixing it with what God gave you to accomplish it (gifts) as well as following the instructions and blueprint he has given you in order to be successful (Jesus/the word).
Jesus had just come from preaching and performing miracles and he invited the disciples into his resting period while he was preparing for what came next. More ministry, according to the Gospel of Luke, on the other side of the Sea was a man that was filled with a legion of demons tormenting him.
On one side you may just need to think and talk
Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” (do you have a mind to serve God)
Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (you are what you consume)
Proverbs 30:32 “If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, Or if thou hast thought evil, Lay thine hand upon thy mouth.”
Job 22:28 “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: And the light shall shine upon thy ways.”
And light will shine on your ways.
but on the other side it might be time to walk
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
John 14:12 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”
Can you handle the winds & the sea?
While on the boat, scripture says that Jesus fell asleep. Well this is natural because he was tired, from his previous assignment, and he was also preparing for his next assignment.
We can not fulfill our next assignment with our previous assignment’s energy.
Along the way while Jesus was asleep the bible says that there came a storm of a wind and the waves crashed so much that water got in the boat.
What are the winds?
An influx of the unseen and a tossing that does not meet the eye. THE WIND IS OUR EMOTIONS!
What is the sea?
A crashing of the tangible and an interruption or disruption of our momentum. THE SEA REPRESENTS THE OBSTACLES OF LIFE
Are we able to navigate the gusts of our emotional swings in the face of our turmoil? How do we respond when we are faced with the improbable and staring down the impossible and are consumed by what seems to be an immovable situation. Why is it that we then allow our emotions from one issue dictate how we move in handling the next issue. Are we not yet tired of being in a whirlwind of issues because we could not handle or react accordingly?
Where is your Faith?
Where is your Faith?
The disciples could not handle the storm and immediately went to call on Jesus, yet they did not go to him in faith, they went to him in fear. So the disciples woke him up panicking and scared speaking about their doom, and when Jesus woke up, he simply asked “where is your faith”?
How are we praying? What are we praying? When are we praying? Does God only hear from us in times of turmoil, pain or distress, and when we talk to him are we informing him of our impending doom or are we seeking instructions for our inevitable escape?
How soon do we forget or refuse to acknowledge that Jesus invited us on to his ship in order to accomplish his mission. So if Jesus brought you on, surely he’ll see you get to the other side. If Jesus is on the ship surely he was aware of the storm that was coming.
If you are apart of his plans on the other side surely he’ll get you to the other side. You just have to have faith. It is not enough for us to be around the word. Up to this point the disciples were merely around the word and not authentically aligned with the word. The word was resting, so he could manifest later, the word was recharging then so he could be at full force later, this is not the season for us to have a half charged word in our lives. We need a fully rested, fully respondent and active word in our lives. We just have to control the storm until he manifests.
After Jesus asks the hard question the bible says he rebuked the wind and raging water.
If you have Jesus YOU can speak to your situation and tell it to be calm
Speak to your turmoil
speak to your emotions
speak to your reactions
You will not get to the other side if you continue to succumb to your storm.
You can not FAKE this walk, you have to FAITH IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT!