It always amazes me to run into folks who trust in make-believe and nonsense. I mean, how can they be so misguided? If you listen to them discuss what they believe, you wonder if they ever went to school. You question if they're able to think for themselves. You wonder who it is that has been thinking for them all these years, fellow airheads? At best, they have slogans for theology, bumper-sticker beliefs, or shallow examined creeds. They believe it! Why? Because they believe it! They substitute their opinions and feelings for solid beliefs. Their thoughts started as soft as as cotton candy, yet over time, these airy notions got fixed in their mind like solid cement--thoroughly mixed up and firmly set. Sadly, not grounded, not real; of no help.
Faith is a wonderful force when it is anchored in reality. It is useless to have faith in someone who is not there, like the man behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz. It is of no use to put your faith in so-called facts if the facts have not been vetted as being true. We humans seem to have a capacity to deceive ourselves; to believe something we want to be true rather than test our beliefs until we know they are solid. This is a big dilemma. What is the source of your faith? What do you base your faith on? Does your faith stand on solid ground?
Everyone has faith! All people have an ability to believe. They also have the power to direct their faith. When you walk across the room to flip a light switch, you believe the light will come on, right? You exercised faith or else you would not have bothered to get up and go to the switch. The question is, in what do we place our faith? An even better question is, in whom do we trust?
Faith is the act of believing what you know to be true, or assenting to what you have heard as a fact, or relying upon evidence that has convinced you. Faith causes you to deposit money in the bank, knowing it will be there when you go back for it, write a check, or use your debit card. If you can believe that, then you can also believe in more important things. Don't lie to yourself and say, "I don't have faith." You do have faith! Perhaps you haven't based your beliefs correctly in revealed, reliable truth or you haven't yet invested your faith in the right Person.
Faith can't be second-hand. It must be authentic, original, from your own heart and mind. Faith is an expression of an inter-personal relationship, like the love and trust you have with a faithful spouse. I have faith in God because I know him. Over time, I learned his word and saw how wonderfully consistent this walk of faith is with creation, life, logic, and spiritual reality.
Faith that is anchored in God becomes like a lifeline into an invisible realm. It is no longer a leap in the dark, but firm reliance on the trustworthy character of the person who spoke it or gave it. Faith is both a gift and a loan. Faith itself comes from God. He exercises faith all the time. He speaks, and believes his own word. He knows you, and watches to see if he can trust you. Here is what I know for sure.... Spend time with God. He has all the faith you need!
RON WOOD IS A WRITER AND MINISTER. CONTACT HIM AT [email protected] OR VISIT WWW.TOUCHEDBYGRACE.ORG. THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR.
Religion on 09/13/2017