We catch faith from other people. Other people catch faith from us. We are more influenced by others than we realize. We think we are just born this way, or we think that we are independent and decide who we want to be, but the fact is that we are shaped by the people around us. They shape the way we talk, the values we hold, the activities we enjoy. They shape our faith.
We catch faith from the people with whom we spend the most time. We catch faith from the people who raised us, from our friends, from our co-workers. The saying, “You are the average of the five people with whom you spend the most time,” is true. We also catch faith from people who have lives far different from us who demonstrate extraordinary faith. Witnessing someone exhibit grace under extreme pressure can not help but strengthen our own faith.
Other people can catch faith from us. We each have our own sphere of influence. Contrary to our expectation, we don’t influence others by our achievements that are intended to impress. We influence others by the way we handle the occasions when we fail. When it comes to contagious faith, it is in our weakest moments that we have the most influence.
In our sermon this Sunday we will be talking about contagious faith.