Let there be F.I.G.S.
“Faith over fear!”, this is a common pursuit for people, especially women as we walk through this life with expectations abounding and critical voices surrounding so many aspects of life. But recently, I have been listening and looking for ways to hold faith higher and focus on expectations that matter in greater ways and bring forth fruit that confirms the truth that I have something to do and someone to be – specifically in God’s design for life.
A recent sermon at church focused on an acronym related to Jesus’s encounter with the unproductive fig tree in Mark 11:12-14, 20-25. Jesus was looking for real figs, but what he taught the disciples was about F.I.G.S. – Faith In God Shows!
There is a saying that “Your family tree can put a noose around your neck!” This means that some of us are born into families and experiences that are well below that place to which we are destined to rise. Even when we know and understand this, we may feel guilty about achieving what could be considered by un-achievers as “too much.” We continually question ourselves, wondering why we should be so lucky, so blessed to be able to crawl out of the black hole of pain or dysfunction we have come to know as the norm. We question if we’re being selfish. Some of us wonder if our abilities and talents are a fluke of some kind. We can become poor creatures and fearful of succeeding. We can fail to face the evidence, appearing real, but utterly false, and become full of fear. But God! We need to recognize that every accomplishment, every success is the result of God’s command to “Come ye out from among them!”
God doesn’t want us to put on the “full leaf without the fruit”! We don’t get brownie points for remaining fruitless! We need to let the fruit of God’s definition on our life, our being, show prominently. The “figs” of our life are to always be “in season” and be the ultimate showing of our faith. Our faith demonstrates to those who would hold us back that we are called to “Come ye out from among them!” So, the growth in all aspects of our journey is to be fruitful, far less filled with fear and full of faith. Let there be F.I.G.S. in each element of your day. Let’s give full acceptance of the triune God’s command and put forth a faith-filled living that shines His light into the world around us.
