Casandra Martin

I am not a big fan of dusting. Dusting is one of those required chores that is necessary, but brings no joy. Sometimes I put it off, and the evidence of my procrastination builds up in unexpected places.

In our family room, we have a metal piece that says “Faith” in large letters. It sits there as a reminder of who we are and where to turn as we live in the everyday routine of life. Cloth in hand, I pulled it down from the shelf where it sits in order to dust it off. I was surprised by how much dust had accumulated since the last time I had tackled this particular chore.

Dusty faith. The significance of the layer of grime on the letters that spelled out faith struck me hard. I don’t want to have dusty faith. Too often, faith becomes something that sits on a shelf to be looked at from a distance, but never used or enjoyed. We keep it in our pockets, carrying it around like a good luck charm or a membership card. Faith isn’t something we can pick up and set down when it is convenient. Faith is a way of living, a way of looking at ourselves and the world, and a power that fuels the way we walk through our days and face our fears.

Faith is like a muscle. It has to be exercised daily to help it grow and keep it strong. When faith is unused, it atrophies. It gets dusty.

My Jesus Resolution today is to exercise my faith. I am going to nourish it with His Word, let it breathe in the fresh air of His presence, expose it to the wonder of worship, and strengthen it in service to others. I am going to remember that faith isn’t one part of who I am. Faith expresses the whole of who I am in Jesus. It testifies to how God is moving in my life, making me new, filling me with grace, and transforming me into the image of His Son. I am not going to put my faith up on a shelf, only pulling it down in emergencies or when I need a little bit of comfort. If my faith gets dusty, I want it to be because I have been working, loving, following, forgiving, and living like Jesus.