There is a theory about old, unused barns. They depreciate and become run down quicker because they do not house livestock anymore. When there is no livestock, the barn dries out from the lack of moisture that the animals give off. This rots and subsequently decays the wood, which then buckles slowly under the pressure of gravity. Therefore, many unused barns have a sinking roof and begin to lean.
When our faith gets dried out by not being active, our self can become weaker under various pressures, too, like old, unused barns. Faith that is alive and vibrant is a faith worthy of striving for and living for. Faith without works is dead, says the book of James. And while we are not saved by our good works, an active faith is a good faith. While it does not give off moisture, like livestock in a barn, a strong faith gives off a good, life-giving spirit that not only nourishes us but also nourishes those around us. Have you ever met a stranger on a sidewalk who simply smiled at you? Smiling can become contagious, and when met with a smile, it can take away our sour thoughts in the moment. Sharing the love of God with another works in the same way.
A good barn is a barn in use! And so it is with our faith, not as a couch potato, lifeless faith, but as an active faith that nourishes and strengthens. May this New Year ahead be a time to exercise your faith fully—perhaps in new and creative ways. Such nourishing and strengthening, like the healthy wood structure of a used barn, is our own nourishing and strengthening for being instruments that God can use in a weary world.
