“It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him” (Hebrews 11:6 NLT).

Um, no, like Jesus, Q would be no more fazed by a recession than by an ingrown toe nail. So why are some Christians frightened by recession? Sadly, such believers treat the Bible like fantasy or science fiction rather than a living book that is full of God’s life-changing promises (Hebrews 4:14). Such Christians may be saved and on their way to Heaven, but their lives are a mess because in their hearts they don’t really believe that God can affect their lives any more than Star Trek‘s Q.

This lack of faith keeps God’s promises out the hands of a Christian who doubts them, because “it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him” (Hebrews 11:6 NLT). Such Christians may go to church, read their Bibles, and even have a fish decal on their car, but if something happens that is beyond their control–such as a job loss, a cancer diagnosis, or a child’s drug addiction–they panic. And why do they panic? They panic because they don’t believe God can really do anything about the problem because they do not trust God. And why don’t they trust God? They don’t trust God because they have not spent the time necessary to get to know God and what He is like.

How does anyone get to know another person? The only way to truly know another is to spend time with them. You can even get to know a fictional character by spending time with that character. For example, I know what Star Trek‘s Q character is like because I’ve spent so much time watching him on television. I can tell you he’s omnipotent and supremely arrogant. He is also curious about humans and even wants a relationship with some of them. I can tell you he’s a powerful ally and is not afraid to show gratitude. Q can heal the blind, restore a planet ravaged by pollution, and even return a moon to its proper orbit. I can also tell you he can be an absolute pain in the neck and not someone who is completely trustworthy. All of this I learned by spending time watching Star Trek.

The same is true of God. The only way to get to know God is to spend time with Him in prayer and His Word. He knows that “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). He wants to spend time with His children and it breaks His heart when they won’t. Hear Jesus’ words: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets, you stone the messengers God has sent you! How many times I wanted to put my arms around all your people, just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not let me!” (Luke 13:34 Good News Translation).

Consider Jesus’ response to Martha demanding that Mary help her serve Jesus and His disciples instead of sitting at His feet, listening to Him: “Martha, Martha! You are worried and troubled over so many things, but just one is needed. Mary has chosen the right thing, and it will not be taken away from her” Luke 10:41-42 GNT). Is it possible to get so busy doing Christian work that we forget to spend time with Christ? Yes! Moreover, such busyness will leave a Christian sapped of spiritual strength because it is only when we spend time with God and get to know Him that we will be infused with HIS power and HIS anointing so that when faced by challenges big and small, we will not be intimidated because “the people who know their God shall be strong and do great things” (Daniel 11:32 The Living Bible). 

So if we Christians are going to be strong in the face of a crisis, we need to spend time with the One Who is greater than any problem. We need to set aside busyness, including ministering to others, and minister to God. Spend time in His Word, in prayer, in worship, and in praise so that He can reveal Himself to you. He loves you and He longs to be with you. So don’t just do something, sit there!