A Simple Faith

20 Dec A Simple Faith

Read Luke 2:1-7 
Thought for the Day: Jesus asks me to follow Him and live humbly!

Before any aspiring taxi-cab driver can begin collecting fares in London, he or she must first pass the infamous “The Knowledge”. Considered one of the world’s toughest tests, it was first introduced in 1865 (for those making a living driving horse-drawn carriages). What exactly does this test entail? Simple: would-be cabbies have to learn London’s streets within a six-mile radius of Charing Cross… all of them… by memory… including every turn, street sign, and landmark. Studying for and passing this test takes the average driver 3-4 years. Still, there is no greater navigator in London than a cabbie who has passed “The Knowledge” and owns a Green Badge.

Many mistakenly believe that living a Christian life is as elusive as passing “The Knowledge”. Rather than responding to Jesus’ invitation to “Follow Me”, some think that we need to have all the answers. We can believe we need to memorize every turn, sign, and landmark in our spiritual lives. We can mistakenly believe that Jesus asks us to be perfect. He doesn’t – instead, He asks us to receive forgiveness and in turn love God and our neighbors.

Christmas is this week. Each of us has a choice: we can try to follow Jesus (and fall short) by being legalistic and proud. Or, we can learn the lesson of Jesus who lived a humble life, seeking not to be served but to serve. We don’t need to perfectly pass “The Knowledge” either in our interpersonal or spiritual lives. Instead, we can ask God for forgiveness, practice it ourselves, and stay humble throughout the process.

In Christ,
Pastors Stan and David