What does faith mean to you? If you’re anything like me, then the answer’s probably changed as you’ve grown. Some of you first beheld the beauty of Christ in the arms of loving parents whereas some of you learned to cling to Christ’s promise of comfort in the deepest valleys of life. No matter what circumstances brought you here, Anderson University is committed to transforming you in your walk with the Lord. It fulfills this mission by cultivating virtues of faith, hope, love, justice, wisdom, courage, and self-control. Your spiritual formation doesn’t stop when you accept Jesus into your heart. Each day brings new opportunities for you to trust Him, to embrace His nearness, and to experience His peace throughout the ups and downs of life.

Dr. Chuck Fuller spoke at Chapel recently on faith and what it means to seek the Lord in desperate situations. He shared stories from Luke 8:40-56 of two people who demonstrated radical faith in their encounters with Jesus: an esteemed ruler of the synagogue named Jairus with a sick daughter and a lowly woman with a prolonged discharge of blood. This woman had exhausted all of her strength and resources trying to find a cure for her condition. She was likely ostracized from her community for her uncleanness and faced significant risks in approaching Jesus publicly. But she had faith. Faith that, despite all the ways she had been let down and disappointed in the past, endured and held fast to the person of Christ. Her faith in Jesus brought healing and restoration into her life. And Jesus didn’t stop His redemptive work here. Jairus soon learned the full extent of Jesus’ miraculous power and what it means to have faith in Him. While Jesus was speaking with the healed woman in the crowd, Jairus received news that his daughter had died. Can you imagine anything more devastating? Someone else experiencing the blessings of healing that you have prayed for so fervently, so deeply. All seemed lost. Yet Jesus still called Jairus to believe. “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well” (Luke 8:50b ESV). Nothing is impossible for God. Jesus walked to Jairus’ house, sent away the mourners, and raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead. I’d say that’s a pretty awesome way to see your faith bear fruit.

Have you considered what true faith looks like in your own life? I’ve found that my faith grows most when my awareness of Christ grows. When I reflect on the ways the Lord has been faithful to me in every circumstance, I am reminded of why He is the one who deserves all my praise. He is the one who sustained me when I entered college, who provided stability for me in times when everything seemed to change. He has guided me away from some dreams and into even greater ones, gently reminding me that His plans for my life are so much better than my own. And it hasn’t always been easy either. Learning to trust Him and His goodness can be so incredibly hard, especially when it feels like this world’s pain is so pervasive. In the midst of doubts, in moments where I have struggled to see His hand at work, the Lord has been an ever-present refuge. I know that He has never failed me and that there is light beyond the darkness. He has proven Himself faithful over and over. He invites me to bring all my fears and questions to Him and trust Him with it all. That is faith.

Dr. Fuller concludes his message with this comfort: “Faith is unconditional trust in the Savior who came to find you, who is there for your pleading, who’s there for your reaching. And He promises that one day in Him all really will be well.” Have you entrusted every part of your life to the Lord? I promise you it is so worth it. As counterintuitive as it may seem, it is in submitting our desires to the Lord that we find our greatest joy. Psalm 37:4-5 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will act.” When you trust the Lord, your heart begins to align with God’s heart. His desires become your desires; His joy becomes your joy. Our faith in the Lord enables us to experience His life-giving presence and recognize His kindness toward us. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 offers us this comforting invitation: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” These are my favorite Bible verses for a reason. I trust the Lord because He has shown Himself worthy of my trust. I have faith because He is so faithful. God made the ultimate sacrifice of sending Jesus to die on the cross to atone for our sins. He made a way to reconcile us to Himself again. He remained faithful to His people even when we had strayed. If God was willing to do so much to bring us back into right relationship with Him, then I think it’s safe to say that He can be trusted to continue working good for His children.

My faith means the world to me. It is rooted in the finished work of Christ, and it gives me encouragement in every moment. God has provided for me and been a source of strength for me all the days of my life. I hope that your faith in the Lord will be renewed as you reflect on His unending faithfulness toward you. Consider how He has sustained you through life’s greatest trials. He is with you. He will never stop showing steadfast love toward you. Our wonderful Lord and Savior is worthy of radical faith. I pray that you will trust Him with every part of your life today.