Cannonball Faith

Some times in our lives we get to hear stories that make us laugh so hard we cry, but at the same time can teach us a very valuable lesson. I heard such a story last week.

Last week I met with a young lady in our church who has accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior and Lord and she decided to be baptized. While riding home in the car she called her grandmother, who led her to the Lord, and told her about the baptism. After she got off the phone her little brother – who has a tendency to need to one-up his sister – spoke up.

He said he already has been baptized. His parents asked him, what do you mean? He then told them, the other day as he was at the swimming pool, he ran towards the pool, asked Jesus to come into his life, did a cannonball all the way under water, and when he came to the surface, he had a new life!!!

I love two things about this story. First is the cannonball and second is that he knew he needed to go all the way under. The story is humorous and fun, but it also teaches us a great lesson.

As soon as I read the email with the story I thought of these words. " I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it" (Mark 10:15) Do not misunderstand what I am saying. I do not believe this idea to be the process by which a person has a genuine experience of salvation, but I do think it is a genuine expression of genuine faith. It is a faith that is still not completely informed or understood but a genuine and true all the same.

This child does not yet understand what the Lordship of Christ means and how the death and resurrection of Christ forgives us of our sins, but I told his dad this the other day, "The day he does understand, his faith is ready." Listen to what he says. He asked Jesus to come into his life. He immersed himself. And he had new life.

Do you believe in new life like that? Do you believe that Jesus Christ does exactly what he says he does? He did not have potential for new life or hope for new life – just NEW LIFE! Jesus told us that he came to give us "life and life more abundantly."We, however, must have faith like a child to enter into it.

We must have faith that is all in. All the way. No qualifications or limitations.

Faith like a cannonball. Faith that is committed to going all the way under and coming up having made a huge splash.

So...do you have cannonball faith?