Tag Archives: wisdom

Faith

Faith Is Not for the Faint of Heart

Stay in the Word of God until you can see it so clearly on the inside that you don’t need to see it on the outside. ~ Gloria Copeland

God is faithful. Most of us have heard that statement, but have we ever really considered what faith requires? It is certainly not for the faint of heart.

The Old Testament testifies to the faithfulness of God, His steadfast love, goodness, mercy and grace. He stood by the three Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace and was faithful to Daniel in the lion’s den. His grace led the Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness, fed them with manna and doves, and poured water from rock. Ps. 119:90 says ‘Thy faithfulness is unto all generations; Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth’. Psalm 92 says God shows us His ‘lovingkindness in the morning and [His] faithfulness every night’. He even dressed Adam and Eve after the disaster in the Garden.

The examples of God’s faithfulness are far too many to mention, but the ultimate example was His faithfulness to Jesus. From the first prophecy spoken in Genesis (‘one is coming’) to Jesus’ resurrection from hell itself, God’s proved His faithfulness to His plan for all mankind.

Have you ever thought about the price God pays to remain faithful to us, His children? Think for just a moment how much He forgives us. Every day, every day, every day – no matter what dumb stuff we’ve done! Think about His infinite patience with our attempts to override or ignore His wisdom. Consider His constant vigilance to protect and guide us out of our messes and disasters.

The Bible uses the word ‘faith’ and its derivatives almost 350 times. While Old Covenant references talk about God’s faithfulness, the New Covenant shifts from His faith to ours. The entire New Testament shows us how Jesus walked by faith and how we are to learn to live by faith. If we look at the lives of the disciples, we soon realize that faith is not for the faint of heart!

Most of them were persecuted for their faith and spent time in prison. Yet the Church continued to prosper and grow. Today, we are millions strong, all because of twelve dedicated men and the additional 108 who met in that Upper Room so many centuries ago.

One of the strongest instructions regarding faith was given to Joshua after Moses’ death. Joshua was one of the twelve who were sent to spy out the Promised Land. After God told the Israelites that He had given them the land, only two – Joshua and Caleb – agreed with God’s Word. The other ten came back complaining that the task was too difficult and the tribes of Israel could never win. They doubted God’s Word, giving it no credit at all. They were faint of heart.

Forty years later, after Moses’ death, it fell to Joshua to complete the task God had given the Israelites four decades earlier. Everyone in the previous generation was dead. Their complaining and doubting had shortened their lives. Only Joshua and Caleb remained to lead the people. Here’s what God told him: Only be strong and very courageous, that you mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses My servant commanded you. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go. (Josh. 1:7) We can learn a lot from that instruction.

Faith believes. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to all. (I Tim. 4:15) Whether the ‘profit’ you need is financial, physical, mental, social or spiritual, you must start with what you believe. If you don’t believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6), you will never have enough faith to defeat the devil’s attacks or the world’s problems. If you believe that He is able, but don’t believe He will do it for ‘you’, then your faith is unplugged from the Source. Like Jacob, your heart [spirit] will faint (become weak and ineffective) because you believe not (Gen. 45:26).

Faith is strong. And His name, through faith in His name, hath made this man strong… hath given him this perfect soundness (Acts 3:16). ‘Perfect soundness’, to me, is another way of describing the Hebrew word for ‘peace’ – Salem. It is translated ‘wholeness, completeness, with nothing missing and nothing broken’. That would include physical health, overflowing finances, peace mentally (no stress or torment) and socially.

Faith creates strength. Weak men do not win tournaments. If you want to overcome life’s adversities, you will have to exercise your faith (practice it, like an athlete or musician practices their craft) until it becomes strong. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Eph. 6:10), then you will be like the woman with the issue of blood whose story is told in Matthew, chapter 9.

She said to herself, “if I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole (sound, strong, healed). She put her faith on the line. She’d been bleeding for twelve years. No doctor could help her, and she had spent everything she had. She could easily have been faint of heart, but she chose not to let her illness or weakness stop her. She crawled through the crowd, speaking the result she wanted – calling things that be not as though they were! (Rom. 4:17). And in the very next verse, Jesus told her, “Daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith has made thee whole” (v. 22).

Faith is courageous. Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them; for the Lord thy God, He it is who doth go with thee. He will not fail thee nor forsake thee (Deut. 31:6). God has called you to be a soldier of Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 2:4). Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand… and having done all, to stand (Eph. 6:11, 13). As His soldier, He’s armored and equipped you to win every battle.

War – whether physical or spiritual – requires courage. Courage enables you to take a stand and take the ground. Jesus said you can move mountains with a grain of faith! (Matt. 17:20). But you have to bold and courageous enough to stand until the battle is won. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart (Ps. 27:14).

Faith is diligent. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues [forces] of life. Prov. 4:23 God told Joshua to observe to do according to all the law. In the next verse, He said to ‘meditate on His Word day and night’. Why? So the promise would be stronger and more alive to Joshua than the obstacles he faced. When you’re up against a seemingly impossible situation, you need to meditate on God’s promises until they become bigger inside you than any problem you face in the world.

Faith wavers not. Let us hold fast to the profession of our faith without wavering (for He is faithful who promised) (Heb. 10:23). James asked the question, “Does a fountain send forth from the same place sweet water and bitter?” (v. 3:11). In other words, are you speaking faith one minute and grumbling the next? Do you believe God can and will turn your situation around or are you busy telling everyone how bad things are and how it will never change?

Instead, become like Abraham who believed in the Lord; and He accounted it to him for righteousness (Gen. 15:6). Abraham believed God even to the sacrifice of his teenaged son – the very same boy God had promised him. Abraham waited almost three decades for Isaac’s birth. How difficult it must have been to trust God to restore the boy’s life after Abraham himself killed him on the altar. It didn’t get that far because God stilled Abraham’s hand. Yet four thousand years later, Jesus trusted God enough to surrender to Pilate and be crucified, believing God for His resurrection… the just shall live by faith (Rom. 1:17).

Faith is patient. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; fret not thyself… (Ps. 37:7). Patience isn’t learning to put up with bad things with a good attitude. Biblical patience means taking a stand of faith without wavering or doubting… for as long as it takes. It means casting all your care upon Him because He cares for you (I Peter 5:7) and not allowing stress, pressure, doubt or fear to move you away from your faith.

The disciples asked Jesus, “What shall we do, that we might work the work of God?” and He responded, “This is the work of God: that ye believe in Him whom He hath sent.” (John 6:28-29) Later, Jesus told the ruler of the synagogue, “Fear not, believe only”. Patience puts a wall between faith and the bombardment of arguments and attacks that come your way. Patience says, “I don’t care how long it takes, I believe God. Nothing is impossible with Him. I will see the salvation of the Lord in this situation!”

Faith forgives. And when ye stand praying, forgive if ye have aught against any… (Mark 11:25). Just like the fountain that can’t spew sweet water and bitter, faith cannot function if unforgiveness clogs the channel. In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, He explains that ‘faith works by love’. In other words, if you’re operating outside of love, faith cannot work. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand (Mark 3:25). I know, it takes strength, courage and patience to forgive those who hurt you, but Jesus’ instruction is clear: “love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you.” Several chapters later, when Peter asked, “How often shall… I forgive him” Until seven times?” and Jesus responded, “Not… seven times, but until seventy times seven.” (Matt. 18:21-22).

Even on the cross, after torture and extreme pain, Jesus put forgiveness into action saying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” If He can do that, we must also be strong enough to forgive.

Faith is tough. If it weren’t, everyone would be a faith giant. Faith requires commitment, steadfastness and tenacity. It’s definitely not for the lazy or faint of heart. But if you will be strong and very courageous, spend time meditating the promises of God’s Word, keeping your ‘shield of faith’ in place and wielding the ‘sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God’ (Eph. 6:17), you can become a faith hero, just like Joshua and Abraham. And you will see the glory, goodness and blessing of the Lord, just like He promised.

For more information on developing life skills, better relationships, and becoming the best YOU possible, visit [http://seebecksolutions.com] and sign up to receive your FREE subscription to “Solutions For Success”, a weekly ezine of inspiration, motivation and humor from a Christian perspective.

Ruth Seebeck has built a reputation over the last three decades as a life-skills coach, mentor, Christian counselor and friend. She is a business owner, author, community volunteer and event coordinator whose passion is helping others overcome life’s challenges. Seebeck Solutions: Helping you make the most of What Matters Most!

 

Faith

Faith and What It Takes

What is faith?

 

Faith is the power of our convictions and expectations. Like the wind, we can’t see faith, but we can feel it, and we can see its effects on our lives. And, just as the direction and speed of the wind determines the weather, the nature of our faith shapes our destiny.

 

What faith prevents/allows

 

Here’s one way our faith shapes our destiny: Out of all that might be possible and desirable for us, we only pursue what we believe in. Negative or insufficient faith prevents good things, because no sane person would invest effort trying to do something considered to be impossible. And, even if we think it’s doable, we won’t do something we feel is foolish or otherwise dangerous. For example, a woman won’t get married if she believes she’s just going to get hurt.

 

Positive faith is a “go” button; and negative faith is a “no go.”

Every person who ever worked for a dream had the confidence that if they did so, they would succeed. Lacking such confidence, we won’t try for our goal, or we’ll load our attempt with so much doubt that we’ll sabotage our efforts. As you know, a man who believes he is unworthy of the woman he loves will either fail to pursue her, or he will pursue her in an insecure, half-hearted spirit — practically ensuring rejection. He would need much more positive faith if he wants to win her love.

 

We often approach our goals with an attitude of unfaith and hopelessness — pulling our punches, cutting corners, and then getting disappointing results. Of course, we’re not surprised when that happens — after all, isn’t that what we expected?

 

What faith alone can’t do

 

Nowadays, many people understand that you get what you expect. Teachings like the Law of Attraction have been distributed so broadly that people in many parts of the world are familiar with the concept. But often this crucial fact goes untold: positive faith is only part of what it takes to create a beautiful life. Once you believe that good things are possible for you, you still have to go forth armed with your positive convictions, and do what it takes to create beauty and goodness in your life.

 

For example, we all know that an athlete needs faith to win the Olympics; but it’s silly to believe that anyone could win the Olympics due to faith alone. To win the gold also requires discipline, regular training, a good diet, an excellent coach, etc.

 

Faith opens the door to every kind of success, but we still have to pick up our feet and walk through.

Faith in things unbeen

 

True faith is not blind faith. It would be insane, not faithful, to believe that something good will happen when we’re not fulfilling the preconditions for that thing to happen. Positive faith is the first precondition we must fulfill to succeed in anything, but it is certainly not the last.

 

Listen to this story:

 

Two brothers immigrated to America. One believed that once he got to America, he would certainly prosper. The other believed that if he came to America AND worked hard there, he would prosper. Which one do you think is more likely to succeed?

 

People often say things like, “If I only believe, I can succeed.” But that is misguided. It does not take into account that there are plenty of things to do and be if you want to succeed in any endeavor. That’s why I criticize “faith in things unbeen.” That kind of faith makes no sense at all. Faith without works is foolish.

 

Doing What It Takes (“WITS”)

 

Some preconditions for success are found not just in effort, or even smart effort, but also in character and attitude. People often ask, “Does marriage work?” Presumably, that is a general, philosophical question. But, you see, a useful answer can’t be generalized. The realistic answer is: Marriage can work — if the partners are willing to do what it takes for marriage to work. If you are loving, ego-transcending, caring, loyal, forgiving, and compassionate, then most likely marriage will work for you. But what if you are intolerant, impatient, and selfish? Then, of course, it won’t.

 

The odds of success in any given endeavor are not the same for everybody — it depends on how well each aspirant fulfills the preconditions. All things are, in that sense, conditional. And therefore, all reasonable faith is conditional — not non-conditional.

 

So then, does faith work? Yes — if it is reasonable. When you are willing to fulfill the requirements for what you desire, then you have every reason to have faith — and your faith will work.

 

Example of faith without what it takes: unconditional entitlement

 

The idea of faith without doing what it takes is expressed in the idea of entitlement without appropriately fulfilling the preconditions.

 

For example, a son is naturally entitled to inherit his father’s corporation. But that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t learn the business — or that he doesn’t need to. In fact, if a son doesn’t prepare adequately for the challenges of taking over the business, his father has a responsibility, to everyone involved, not to give him the business. Here we can see how entitlement and effort are not contradictory; in fact, they are interdependent, and perfectly harmonious.

 

Similarly, as human beings, we are entitled to perfect fulfillment, and every kind of joy; but the prerequisites must still be met.

 

Avoiding what it can’t take

 

Sometimes, success depends on what you don’t do. A case in point: A naive young girl falls in love and gets married, full of hope that she and her new husband will create lasting happiness together. And why not? She loves him tremendously, and puts huge energy into the relationship. But, at the same time, she indulges in moodiness and self-centeredness, and too often, she loses her temper, and insults him terribly. Before long, their joy is lost, and so is the marriage: he leaves her.

 

She had all the faith in the world, and she even did many truly positive things, but she was sloppy when it came to the don’ts — the sabotage. Doing the don’ts can easily cut a long story short — and make an otherwise happy ending unhappy. So, obviously:

 

Where success is concerned, it’s crucial to not only meet the positive conditions, but also to avoid the rule-outs.

 

We must do what it takes, and we must avoid doing what it can’t take.

Give yourself a chance

 

I say, give yourself a chance. Fulfill the preconditions and avoid the rule-outs for what you want. Otherwise, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

 

No creature is exempt from this principle. Every year, countless sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. Two months later, dozens of baby turtles emerge. They have a vital agenda: they need to get back to the sea where they belong, to swim freely and happily in the cool blue waves.

 

Similarly, we have an agenda. We are here to live a life of love, integrity, consciousness, joy, compassion. In our hearts, we never forget that agenda.

 

And, like the little sea turtles, if we want to live that life, we have to go for it. If the baby turtle just stays there on the beach, it loses its chances of living out the beautiful life it was born for. Most likely, it will be lunch for a bird or a crab instead. Similarly, if we fail to exercise positive faith or to meet the other preconditions for a truly beautiful life, we are condemning ourselves to an unfulfilled life and abandoning our heart’s true dreams.

 

Give yourself a decent chance. Otherwise, the only faith that is justified for you is faith that things won’t work. Life can’t work if you don’t work. And it can’t work right if you don’t work right.

 

Everyone who wishes to succeed needs to have their WITS – What It Takes – about them.

 

What kind of chance at fulfillment do you want to have? You get to decide. You could give yourself a 2% chance or a 98% chance, as you wish. It all depends on how well you take care of the WITS. Have mercy on yourself; don’t ruin your chances.

So: what is the minimum requirement for success in whatever enterprise is near and dear to your heart? Do you know what it takes? If not, get busy and find out. Then do it!

 

You’ve got what it takes to succeed

 

As a parent, you wouldn’t want to send your child into the world without What It Takes: without self-respect; without an education; without manners or morals; without a dime to get them on their feet. And you can be sure that God isn’t that kind of parent, either; He wouldn’t send off His kids without a fighting chance.

 

You have been given plenty to work with — all the essential tools you need. You have your Selfhood, your sensitivity to what is right, your natural lovingness, your inborn attraction to truth and beauty. And so much more. And to top it all off, you have God to work with. God’s love, God’s moment-to-moment guidance, Divine wind, constant companionship.

 

You’ve got the right stuff! But now, to succeed, you have to use what you have. Then you’ll have extremely high chances for success, and a real basis for strong, positive, living faith.

 

This is what living faith means and is: to both faithfully expect success and faithfully invest in the achievement of it.

 

Your soul knows what it wants, and it also knows what you have to do to make that happen. So listen to your soul, have faith in its wisdom, and live your faith — you can’t fail that way.

 

Positive faith is the foundation upon which good things are built – but don’t forget the building.

About the Author

David Truman is the founder of the Living Love Fellowship. Over the last thirty years, he has given personal spiritual direction to hundreds of people, in the context of committed, loving friendship. He seeks to serve each person’s true self-expression and intimate relationship with God. More articles and free e-books can be found at http://www.heartofspirituality.com/ and http://www.soulprogress.com/