We are so quick to tell each other “have faith” but what do we mean when we speak about faith? As I am walking my personal journey with the Lord, I am moving to understand faith, because I have become convinced that “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb 11:6) and I want to please Him with my life.
I have come to understand that faith is NOT:
- A onetime decision at salvation, although a seed of faith is deposited in our hearts as a gift from God.
- It is also not making my best plans and then asking God to bless them. God is not obligated to bless my goals and dreams. I am to adjust to His plan for my life, respond to His activity in my life. He is the Master, and I am His servant.
- Faith is also not crying out to God when your life falls apart. Faith is exercised long before you get there in your heart attitudes and the faith action you take in your life. (Show Me Your Faith)
- It is also not a last ditch hope when you find your circumstances are out of control. That is not walking by faith, it is just desperation. He is not a backup plan that you can pull out when all your own efforts have come to nil.
Faith is an active, unwavering obedience to God’s will for your life.
Your life is a reflection of your faith. It implies that when you have faith:
- You respond to God’s will for your life in your practical day-to-day living. Your walk reflects the principles of God’s word in your life.
- Your obey even when obstacles are impossible to overcome.
- You trust even when human reasoning says it is impossible.
- You deny yourself, your wants, desires and dreams, take up your cross and follow His will for your life, because only in losing your life, will you gain what it is to have life.
Faith is real when:
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It moves from your head to your heart and you start acting upon what God has said to you in His word.
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It is real when you start to be willing to re-arrange your life, make adjustments, start experiencing the cost in order to experience His power working in your life.
God works in our lives according to our faith.
Jesus often said “according to your faith, let it be done to you.” ( Matt 9:29; 8:13; 9:22; 15:28. Mark 10:52; Luke 7:50)
“Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” John 11:40
Journal Questions:
- Have you ever made your plans and asked God to bless them, then questioned your faith when your plans did not come about?
- Is your faith only exercised when you are in “trouble” and the rest of the time you are a good Christian person?
- To what extent does your faith and trust in God shape your life? Shape your conversation, your decisions, your actions, your relationships etc.
- Would you say that you are willing to re-arrange your life because God has asked you to make some changes?
Lord I long to glorify You through my life and ask that You grow my faith Lord. Help me to translate your word practically into my day-to-day living. Help me to be willing to make changes, willing to make sacrifices, willing to trust you no matter what my circumstances may be. I declare that my life is a reflection of my faith in the person of Jesus.
My Faith Journey:
It was clear to me, that there was a lot more to faith than I first understood.
I was not just about “having faith,” it was who and what that belief is based on. One can believe in the tooth fairy, or the Easter bunny, but there is no power in that. Which is why, just a mustard seed of trusting God 100% brings 100% if His power to bear in your life. My faith needed to grow, but I also needed to admit that much as I had been a believer for years, my faith was not that great. Based on my faith, my measure of faith, I was seeing God’s response in my life. If I wanted to see “immeasurably more than I asked or imagined” I needed a step change in my faith.
Matt 8:8-10 “The centurion replied, ‘Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, “Go,” and he goes; and that one, “Come,” and he comes. I say to my servant, “Do this,” and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, ‘Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. “
What made the Centurions faith so great? It was based on the knowledge of God’s character and His authority. He had perfect faith based on perfect knowledge of God and faith grows from spending time in the Word of God and allowing the Spirit to work faith into the fiber of your spirit.
