A great circus performer by the name Blonding had an act that would dazzle his audience. He would stretch a long steel cable across the Niagara Falls, and during the high winds he would walk and dance across the tight cable to the amazement of the onlookers.
On one occasion he took a wheelbarrow full of bricks and amazed the crowds by pushing it effortlessly across the tight cable from one side of the falls to the other. Blonding then turned to the crowds and asked, “Now, how many of you believe that I can push a man across the wire in the wheelbarrow?”
The vote was unanimous, everyone cheered and held their hands high, they all believed he could do it!
“Then,” Blonding asked, “Would one of you volunteer to be that individual?”
As quickly as the hands went up, they went back down again. Not a single person would volunteer to ride in the wheelbarrow entrusting their life to Blonding.
James 2:18
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your[a] works, and I will show you my faith by my[b]works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?[c]
Reading that story made me realize how the crowds represent a greater majority of the Christians. We proclaim our belief but we cannot back it with actions. When God asks for volunteers we back out because we only believe with our mouth and not with our hearts.
Our faith has to be backed by our works, the two must go together. Throughout the bible we read of stories of individuals who were willing to get into the wheelbarrow allowing God to demonstrate the amazing things that He can do. We read about the experiences that had and we marvel not realizing that this would not have been possible had there been no volunteers who had the faith to trust that God was able to do what He said He would do, and thus they stepped into action because they believed it was already done.
For many of us, we are frozen in fear because we get the “what if “syndrome.
We say yes we believe that Jesus can do it but what if something bad happens?
What if the wire begins to sway to and fro, we I be able to hold on?
What if I get blown away by the wind?
Some would say yes I believe that He can but I am scared of heights.
With one breath we say He can while with the same breath we say we are too scared of the process and we are afraid something may go wrong.
We have many onlookers who believe the things we read in the bible but we are not willing to be volunteers. We know He can heal, he can provide, He can forgive all sins and all the things we read and while we have all these issues in our lives and we believe, we do not want to volunteer.
I don’t know about you but as for me I am getting into the wheelbarrow!
