Faith isn’t something we set aside … It’s meant to shape every part of our life.
There’s an expression you’ll often hear, not always related to faith, but it certainly can be: “Leave your faith at the door.” Or “Leave your beliefs at the door.” Or “Leave your opinions at the door.”
Should we be leaving our faith at the door? Is there ever a situation where we should leave our faith at the door?
The answer is no.
But that still doesn’t mean we treat our faith like a sledgehammer or a jackhammer in every situation.
There’s still prudence when it comes to sharing the faith. Still wisdom in how we live it out and speak about it.
But leaving it at the door? No.
Because faith isn’t meant to be compartmentalized. It’s not something we turn on at Mass and turn off at work. It’s not something we practice on Sundays and ignore the rest of the week.
Yet I think naturally there are places where we tend to think our faith might have no place.
Maybe it’s in our work. We leave our faith at the door when we clock in.
Maybe it’s in our finances — what we do with our money. Does our faith make its way there?
Could you tell that we’re Catholic by our bank statements?
Could you tell by how we spend? How we save? How we give?
Or by the causes we support, the organizations we fund, the ways we use what God has entrusted to us?
These are uncomfortable questions. But they’re important ones.
Because if our faith doesn’t touch our finances, our work, our relationships, our decisions — then where does it touch?
When we leave our faith at the door, we’re not just compartmentalizing our beliefs. We’re cutting ourselves off from the very thing that gives meaning and purpose to everything else.
We’re removing the hub and expecting the wheel to hold together on its own. It won’t.
So no, we don’t leave our faith at the door. We bring it with us. We let it shape how we think, how we act, how we give, how we love.
Reflections by:
Mark Quaranta
Mark Quaranta’s daily reflections, formerly known as Summons, are now The Victor’s Crown. Subscribe for free at TheVictorsCrown.com. Paid subscriptions support the work and unlock premium content. Explore Mark’s prayer journals at PrayOnPaper.com.