Putting Feet To Your Faith
The 2016 movie, Hacksaw Ridge, tells the true story of Desmond Doss, a combat medic who served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Doss, who identified as a conscientious objector, felt the overwhelming desire to contribute to the war effort, despite the fact that his religious beliefs prevented him from carrying a weapon. Unwavering in his convictions, the movie highlights Doss' actions during the Battle of Okinawa in which he saves the lives of 75 men by individually lowering them down a 400 foot cliff while being under enemy fire. For his actions Desmond Doss was presented the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Truman in 1945. There is a lot to learn from Doss' example of how an individual's convictions will drive their actions.
In a recent article about leadership, Albert Mohler Jr. emphasizes the connection between belief and action. He writes, “The beliefs that anchor our faith are those to which we are most passionately and personally committed and these are our convictions…We are convinced that these truths are essential and life changing.” In other words, what we believe will be the fuel that drives our actions. For instance, if our faith leads us to the conviction that Jesus is the only way to heaven and that those who don’t know him are eternally lost, then our response should be the desire to tell others about His amazing love and life changing power. likewise, when what we say we believe doesn’t align with how we live our lives you can be sure that a watching world scratches their head and shrugs their shoulders in disbelief. This shouldn't be the case.
As a member of the pastoral staff at Randall, I believe there is an obligation for me to encourage and provide opportunities for God’s people to live out their convictions. Attending regular worship services and being a part of a Bible study that meets on a weekly basis are good for our spiritual growth, however, it's only in those moments when we live our faith in a world that is looking for religious authenticity that our faith comes alive. As the youth pastor these things have been on my heart recently, particularly as we look to the future and the opportunities that exist for our students to be engaged in short term mission trips.
This is why I'm excited to announce plans for a high school mission trip to the Dominican Republic in the summer of 2018. As many of you know, I had an opportunity to travel to the Dominican Republic earlier in the month with SCORE International on a four day “vision trip.” SCORE is a partner organization that Randall Church supports and it was a blessing to see firsthand the work that they are accomplishing. During my time in country I was able to get a general sense of the service opportunities that exist for our students; which include construction, evangelism, conducting Vacation Bible School in local villages, and ministry to orphans and the elderly. When we talk about living out our convictions, I believe this trip will have a lasting impact on our students by taking them out of their Western New York comfort zone, and challenging them with the needs of the world.
Would you join me in supporting our students? Would you put your faith in action today by praying for the spiritual and financial needs associated with an international mission trip? More importantly, would you follow the example of our students and put feet to your faith by letting God use you in whatever circumstance life brings?
See you on the journey,
Pastor Mario
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