"For we walk by faith, not by sight" 2 Corinthians 5:7
What is faith? Some definitions are a strong belief or trust in someone or something. Allegiance to duty or a person. Firm belief in something for which there is no proof.
What do we have faith in? A lot of people would say God. Others have faith according to their belief systems. We can have faith in other people, that they wouldn't harm us. We can have faith that our job (company) is secure or one's vehicle will get them from place to place. There's also the amount of faith we place in ourselves, in what we are able to do.
"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see" Hebrews 11:1
What causes us to lose faith? Being let down by someone or something can have that effect. Trying our best and coming up short can cause us to question the faith in our own abilities. Difficulties can also crush one's hope and make them lose faith. When we don't see something happen in a way we would like or see terrible things around us might also give us pause with our faith.
Is it easier to have faith in what is seen rather than what is unseen? I am a logical person, and I am someone who likes to have tangible proof. Being an accountant, my mindset is to prove everything and make sure all the numbers tie out. If I see it in front of me, then it exists, and I can place my faith that it is correct. We can place our faith on what our eyes can see and what our ears can hear. Yet, we cannot see oxygen, but yet we breathe and are fine. We don't see wind but can see and feel its effects. Nor, do we see organisms smaller than the eye can see, but we know they exist (like bacteria and viruses). We do get colds.
What keeps us from having faith in God? I think it is a matter of trust. And, definitely our sinful nature. It cannot be easy as seen and unseen. As I mentioned, we do believe that things exist that we cannot see. If you look really hard at creation, you will see God. Maybe not the old man with a long beard image we have had of God from time to time, but you see His existence in every facet of creation. But, it is not just enough to acknowledge who God is and whether He exists. The devil and demons know who God is as Jesus points out in the Gospels. So, it comes back to trust. Where our hope lies. Who do we place our faith and trust in? In God or our own strength?
"He replied 'Because you have so little faith, Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain "Move from here to there" and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" Matthew 17:20
A mustard seed is a very small thing. Yet, that seed will not always remain a seed. Just like the mustard seed, our faith needs to grow and cannot remain stagnant. A seed needs water and we need the nourishment of the Word of God to grow. The mustard seed eventually grows into one of the largest plants in the world. Grow up to 21 feet tall, and the roots can be just as large and deep. This shows the incalculable power of God in the lives of those with faith. That for such a small size, great things can blossom from it. This passage used to bother me, making me think I did not have enough faith. But, it is not a literal thing to make a mountain move. To me, it shows how little I bring in the face of all that God can do in this world. As I said, what is generated from a mustard seed is amazing in proportion to its initial size.
Paul states in Romans 10:17 that faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. Faith is not a passive mental thought, it drives one into action. Faith leads to unity as shown in Acts 2. Faith leads to preaching the Gospel to those around us. In 2 Corinthians 4:13 Paul adds "Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak." Faith is a living thing, it will drive us to move. It is not about that we do stuff to show that we are followers, but rather our faith will compel us into action. The fruits of faith will be easily visible to those around us. That is true regardless of where our faith is placed. The fruits of our actions will reveal where our true faith lies and with whom it lies with.
That is faith. Seems simple, yet can be very complex and layered. The question is: Where do you place your faith in?
What is faith? Some definitions are a strong belief or trust in someone or something. Allegiance to duty or a person. Firm belief in something for which there is no proof.
What do we have faith in? A lot of people would say God. Others have faith according to their belief systems. We can have faith in other people, that they wouldn't harm us. We can have faith that our job (company) is secure or one's vehicle will get them from place to place. There's also the amount of faith we place in ourselves, in what we are able to do.
"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see" Hebrews 11:1
What causes us to lose faith? Being let down by someone or something can have that effect. Trying our best and coming up short can cause us to question the faith in our own abilities. Difficulties can also crush one's hope and make them lose faith. When we don't see something happen in a way we would like or see terrible things around us might also give us pause with our faith.
Is it easier to have faith in what is seen rather than what is unseen? I am a logical person, and I am someone who likes to have tangible proof. Being an accountant, my mindset is to prove everything and make sure all the numbers tie out. If I see it in front of me, then it exists, and I can place my faith that it is correct. We can place our faith on what our eyes can see and what our ears can hear. Yet, we cannot see oxygen, but yet we breathe and are fine. We don't see wind but can see and feel its effects. Nor, do we see organisms smaller than the eye can see, but we know they exist (like bacteria and viruses). We do get colds.
What keeps us from having faith in God? I think it is a matter of trust. And, definitely our sinful nature. It cannot be easy as seen and unseen. As I mentioned, we do believe that things exist that we cannot see. If you look really hard at creation, you will see God. Maybe not the old man with a long beard image we have had of God from time to time, but you see His existence in every facet of creation. But, it is not just enough to acknowledge who God is and whether He exists. The devil and demons know who God is as Jesus points out in the Gospels. So, it comes back to trust. Where our hope lies. Who do we place our faith and trust in? In God or our own strength?
"He replied 'Because you have so little faith, Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain "Move from here to there" and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" Matthew 17:20
A mustard seed is a very small thing. Yet, that seed will not always remain a seed. Just like the mustard seed, our faith needs to grow and cannot remain stagnant. A seed needs water and we need the nourishment of the Word of God to grow. The mustard seed eventually grows into one of the largest plants in the world. Grow up to 21 feet tall, and the roots can be just as large and deep. This shows the incalculable power of God in the lives of those with faith. That for such a small size, great things can blossom from it. This passage used to bother me, making me think I did not have enough faith. But, it is not a literal thing to make a mountain move. To me, it shows how little I bring in the face of all that God can do in this world. As I said, what is generated from a mustard seed is amazing in proportion to its initial size.
Paul states in Romans 10:17 that faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. Faith is not a passive mental thought, it drives one into action. Faith leads to unity as shown in Acts 2. Faith leads to preaching the Gospel to those around us. In 2 Corinthians 4:13 Paul adds "Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak." Faith is a living thing, it will drive us to move. It is not about that we do stuff to show that we are followers, but rather our faith will compel us into action. The fruits of faith will be easily visible to those around us. That is true regardless of where our faith is placed. The fruits of our actions will reveal where our true faith lies and with whom it lies with.
That is faith. Seems simple, yet can be very complex and layered. The question is: Where do you place your faith in?
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