Rusty Faith

A Rusting Flute

About three years ago, I gave up my aspirations of becoming a good flute player. I had started playing the flute in third grade, and continued through freshmen year, and the more I played it, the more I despised it. It wasn’t the actual playing of the flute that annoyed me, but the fact that I felt like everyone was better at playing it in Band than me, and I hated practicing. Anyway, today I pulled it out to practice it, and I probably haven’t cleaned it in at least six months to maybe even a year. I was still stunned though, when I saw the rust and the grime covering it’s used-to-be shiny silver. I was saddened as I thought about how I used to care for this flute and now it was left by the wayside as my passion and time for the flute slowly dwindled away.

However, as I picked it up, after spending a bit of time polishing it, I remembered almost every note as though no time had passed since I last played it. Of course, I definitely did not sound as good as I once had when I had given flute playing the energy and devotion it takes, but I still remembered something.

Thanks for the story…but how does this relate to me??

Well, believe it or not, when I was cleaning my rusting flute, the first thing I thought of was how our faith can become “rusty” when we do not take the time, energy, and devotion it takes to strengthen it.

I have personally had this happen to me before. I’ll complain about how God feels so far away or how I haven’t heard from Him lately, when really, He’s waiting all along. It was me who didn’t take the time to read my Bible, it was me who was “too tired” to pray when I had spent a few hours before bed doing other stuff. So really, is it God’s fault when He feels far away?

I think that sometimes we feel discouraged in our faith, and that causes us to spend less effort “maintaining” it.

For example, I have fallen into the trap of watching those super passionate Christians spreading God’s love around their community, and seeming like they know all the answers, and have a better relationship with God than I do.

The truth: no one can have a “better” relationship with God; God offers us all an equal relationship with Him. Unlike pretty much everyone on the planet, God doesn’t pick favorites. He wants you to get closer to Him; He doesn’t try to make it more difficult than it has to be.

That being said, growing your faith takes time and effort. Both of those can be in short supply in this day and age. However, anything that will bring you closer to the One who loves you and knows you the most, and who helps you become a better person is worth it.

Once you get in the habit of not doing something, it’s even harder going back to it than trying to break a habit in the first place. Just think about it. When you stop exercising, stop reaching out to your friend that you don’t see often, stop your daily journaling…it takes a while and a whole lot of effort going back to it.

But it’s worth it.

You start feeling better about yourself, feeling closer to others, feeling God’s presence again. And those “little things” make all of the difference.

So today, I want you to take intentional time to start or continue a habit of polishing your faith. Start journaling each day, and never stop. Start making intentional prayer time, and never stop. Start doing a Bible study, and continuing to read your Bible after it’s over.

Just do something. And that will make your faith stop rusting and start feeling fresh and new again.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10