Summary: Today, if I told you that many of us suffer from a traumatic disease that is eating away at us daily, would you believe me? This disease, however, is gaining traction by infecting many in our world today. Right now, this disease is eating at the hearts and the minds, the brains, and even the limbs of our friends, our families, significant others, and if we are courageous enough to reflect and to admit, it can be found in many of us today. This tragic disease is a mixture of selective amnesia mixed with the worshipping of circumstantial knowledge which ultimately leads to circumstantial faith. The disease, you see, of circumstantial faith is defined as faith in God based on favorable life circumstances. Individually, you decide when your faith takes root, and when your faith can be uprooted. When life is good, God is good. When life is bad all we notice is the circumstance, the challenge, or the chaos. Is it possible for us to admit that our circumstantial faith is placing a lid on our potential, and ultimately our relationship with God? Could it be that for us to thrive professionally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically God is asking for our faith to take root, rather than to uproot and flow in the wind pending the different circumstances life presents? Each day God is holding a graduation for those who desire to graduate from circumstantial faith to a state of intentional faithfulness. My friends, to be intentional, it literally means to live on purpose. We are intentional about making money, going to work, seeking friendships, and even relationships, but how many of us can actually declare that we are intentional in our relationship with God? The book of 1 Kings is all about the intentional moves of Solomon. Solomon's reign as king and as he begins to gain popularity, he takes his eyes off God, and begins to live a double life. This double life produces two kingdoms, Israel and Judah. God however was concerned about these kingdoms' faithfulness as he is with us, so much that he sent truthtellers to go and proclaim that they needed to stop living any kind of way and to graduate to intentionally becoming faithful to God. Yet, my friends, in 2 Kings Elijah is one of these truthtellers and has yet a mentee by the name of Elisha. And it's in this mentor-mentee relationship that we find a roadmap that, if we decide to intentionally travel, our faith will graduate from circumstantial faith to that of intentional faithfulness.
