Faith

I apologize for the lack of posts this past week or so.  Our family was hit (once again) with some kind of virus.  At the end of January I had strep throat, so I thought it might have been another round of that, or a bad cold or something.  Anyway...it doesn't matter...and I'll try not to ramble on about too much sick.

Our family isn't usually ever sick.  We're pretty healthy.  But this winter has been different, and, as you can imagine, that has caused me to question alot and search the Bible and ask God for help.  Let me tell you...He has come through, once again (am I surprised?).

I've been doing alot of reading/thinking about "faith".  What is it?  Does it work in real life?  My findings have brought me to a place of humility and surrender to God Himself.  I want to share with you what I've learned:

- Faith is being fully convinced that something is real/true without having any physical evidence to back it up.
- You cannot have faith as long as you are staring at your feelings.
- Faith baffles the learned and "wise" of this world.  It makes no sense to the human mind.
- Faith is so simple that even a child has access to it.  In fact we're encouraged to become like a child in this way.
- Faith is not hope.  Hope says, there COULD be an answer.  Faith KNOWS there IS an answer.  Period.
- Faith is not just about believing something, it's about acting on what you believe.
- Faith and fear are pretty much resistant to one another.  They will not stand in the same room.
- When you are convinced of something, the evidence will be seen in the way you talk and act.

The thing about faith is, God is incredibly attracted to people who have it.  I'm talking about faith in Him.  When you have faith in Him, and believe His Word is ultimate truth, He zones in on you and will not leave you alone.  He is compelled to follow through on what He has said.  He dwells in the realm of faith.

If I am sick and all I can see is..well....sickness - all I focus on is getting better and getting rid of the sickness.  And how did I get sick in the first place?  And what is going to keep me from getting sick again?  And who brought this sick into my house?  In this case, I can pretty much guarantee that the subject of my thoughts, words and actions the majority of the time would be: sickness.

What would happen if I went to God's word FIRST...or better yet...if I KNEW, by heart, His words and promises about being healthy?  Then when sickness becomes a threat, what will my mind and heart default to?  His Word.  What would I talk about?  How would I act?  I would be fully convinced (despite my feelings) that God's desire is full health for me.  That would be faith.  This would leave no room for fear.  And the sickness would be left in the dust.

Here's the other thing, Faith requires action.  If someone believes wholeheartedly that they will lose weight and become healthy, I can almost guarantee that they are going to start exercising and eating healthier.  If there is no action, the belief is pointless, right?  Then you can't even really call it "belief".  If I believe my child is going to become a world famous pianist, I will probably, at some point, put her in piano lessons.  It would be foolish not to!  Right?
Now, that being said, the type of action we take must line up with God's word - we are partners with Him.  That is where trust comes in.  It's imperative to trust God for guidance - believe His word in your situation, trust Him for guidance in decision-making, and take action.  Keep on moving!

Faith goes hand in hand with trust.  Honestly, God wants us to trust Him.  He wants to GIVE to us.  He basically wants US.  He desires relationship with us so much that He gave up the most important thing to Himself:  His Son.  If only we could see just what kind of love that is, we would probably see everything in a different light.  Everything we face in life, would look much different.  And, in turn, I believe outcomes would be different. 

I hope you get something out of this - my heart is so full right now...and when that happens I often have a hard time explaining what I mean to say.  :)
I am asking God to help me see just how much He loves me.  And I am trusting His word and truth for my family's well-being from here on out, that's for sure.  He is awesome.