Ants in Your Pants

I just created a whole passel of visual imagery in your mind with this title.  Ants in your pants – they ‘ain’t no fun’ as we used to say in Tennessee.

I found this great quote:

“Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith.  They keep it awake and moving.”

~Frederick Beuchner

How many talks, sermons and books have you heard or read on the subject of “faith”?  And they all boil down to this one fact – we either have faith in God or we don’t.  There is no middle ground. 

And when doubt raises its ugly head, the creepy crawlies come in.  We begin to get restless.  We stem and stew, we worry and fret, and we moan and groan. 

Faith and ants in the pants don’t mix. 

Faith and moaning, worrying, stewing do not mix.

What has God said to us in the past?

How has God led us in the past?

Where has our strength come from in the past?

He has not changed.  He is the same today as yesterday. 

~Hebrews 13:8

Jesus reaches out his hand to us just as in this scripture and asks the same question – “Why do you doubt?”

~Matthew 14:31

Faith is the surety of what we hope for. 

~Hebrews 11:1

Faith is one of the most difficult of graces to practice.  We live in such a fact-based society that it goes contrary to everything with which we are bombarded.

Yet the admonition stands.  Have faith. 

In my book The Letters, you’ll find this word of encouragement in a letter from God.

FIFTY-THREE

Dear Child:

You are concerned about my credentials.  Allow me to present a recent resume.

I created the world.

I formed you in my own image.

I put within you gifts and skills for your good.

I have given you the power to choose.

I am close to the brokenhearted.

I speak words of comfort to the comfortless.

I revive crushed spirits.

I redeem the wasted life.

I heal.

I restore.

I forgive.

I redeem.

No prostitute is too far gone.

No drunk is beyond my forgiveness.

No stubborn minded individual is beyond reach.

I love the brilliant.

I adore the simpleton.

I understand the agnostic.

I yearn for the atheist.

I can see beyond what you can see.

I can lead in the dark.

I can keep you safe in the middle of a storm.

I can stop your enemy.

I can restore nations.

I can encourage the downhearted.

I am God. 

I love you and I really like you.

God

When we come to our end, our testimony is found in this great faith statement.

~2 Timothy 4:7

P Michael Biggs

Up-Words Web Site

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time