Believe in God, for me that is rather easy. The evidence in my life is just too undeniable. The impact my Father has had in the 6 months and 4 days of me being a Christian has been beyond anything I would've imagined. Personally it is easy to believe in God, and to know He exists. Even Satan knows God is very real. Now the part where people just rather not deal with, having faith in God. That is a hard thing for us, as human beings, to do. So many things get in the way of it, mainly fear. The fear of the unknown is something most people choose to pretend just isn't real, but how do you get by life like that. I mean the phrase, ignorance is bliss, is partially true but it is also incredibly frightening.
Thanks to a decision I made months ago, I no longer have that fear nor have to worry about that fear. I have that hard thing to have, faith. Sure, it can waver from time to time when I choose to be foolish; but I have a faith in an incredible and loving God. As I said though, that faith can waver; the question is, why though? Why can't we just be fervent followers with a unwavering faith that is simply inspiring to others?
Unfortunately, faith is not so easy to have all the time. We are visual creatures. We need to see things, to believe it exists. We need to have proof of it to have faith in it. Take a simple thing as sitting in a chair. If someone told you to sit in a chair, normally the first thing we'll do is look at it. It's just instinctive for us. We analyze the chair to judge whether it is a good idea or not to follow through and sit. It's easy if the chair is nice and sturdy looking; but if the chair was a rust-infected crumbling piece of metal would you still be willing to sit in it, probably not. Why is that, simply because based on how it looks, we'll put no faith in it. I say that to show we put our faith based on what we see, but what about what we don't or can't see? Not being able to see God or have "proof" of God is the reason a lot of people choose not to believe in Him. But I bring up two things we have no visual proof of, gravity and wind. Neither of those two things we can see, but we sure do have a lot of faith to know they're real. And why is that, because we can see the effects of it. Can you see gravity? Nope, but you can sure the effects of it and better the effects of what it's like without it. With it, we're grounded to the surface; without it, we'd be nothing more than floating away to our death in space. So again you see the effects of it therefore you believe in it and know it is real. How about wind? You sure as heck can't see wind, nor can you grab or chase it (and to try so would just leaving you looking foolish). But if you ask anybody on this planet, is the wind real, and I would bet every mentally functional human being would say of course! But why, we can't see the wind, but we sure can see the effects of the wind. Therefore we sure do have faith in it being real and active everyday.
Now to me, I think the same principle can apply to God. You can't see, touch, hear God but you sure can see the effects of God. I'm bold enough to say, use me as a prime example of what faith in God can do. I knew of God, but I chose not to put my faith in Him for the first 22 years of my life, and I can tell you there is plenty of proof of a lack of God in me and my actions. Everything just screamed, faithless. Now look at me after I decided to put my faith in God, and the proof is evident that God is real, amazing, powerful, merciful, loving, limitless, and just defines what the Bible says He is. There is no explanation as to how or why the changes where made the moment I chose to put my faith in God, but the evidence of the changes are beyond visible to those around me. I am not boasting but simply pointing and praising His power.
But I can admit it isn't always easy because I am still human, and I still sometimes walk by sight and not by faith, which is completely opposite of what the Bible asks of me (2 Cor. 5:7). That has been one of my problems as of late, which leads to the ensuing of more frustrations and struggles. My stubbornness and pride sometimes gets in the way, and I choose to walk by what I see. I can see the effects of it quickly, and they aren't good. I easily become discouraged, frustrated, quiet, and distant; which is not what I should be. See choosing to have my faith in what I see in front me, and basing what to do and think based on what is in front of me, almost always leads to my failure and fallsfirst His kingdom the rest will take care of itself (Matt. 6:33). The Lord knows the desires of my heart, but the desires of my heart need to be prioritize and reminded daily to have His kingdom at the top. That takes strong faith to do my friends, that is why I tell you I am no better than most because I struggle just as much as the next. It is one of my goals to daily die to myself, and walk by faith, not by sight. What is helping me right now is the realization of my past; looking back at the times I kept my walk by faith and not by sight, and how much my relationship was different, also how the things in my life were different. I need to get back to it, I need to stop ignoring my hunger for Him and His word. I need to get back to praying without ceasing. I need to get back to engulfing myself in Him. I want my life to be a prime example of what walking by faith is (it is my honest prayer right now). I need to stop getting frustrated because things aren't the way I perceive they should be or the way I want them, rather I should strengthen my faith in Him in those times. He has yet to let me down, nor will He ever. I would have given up on me a while ago, but He trusts in me as His child. So I live to trust in Him in everything. I live to surrender every aspect, every concern, every desire, thought, wish, observation, all to Him. I long to walk by 100% unwavering trust and faith in Him, faith in what I can't see. I pray that you guys can join me in having that goal, and achieving it. Let's do what He asks and believe in Him.
with love,
-Adam
"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."
- Hebrews 11:1
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