Faith is a frequently used word these days. We have faith in money, airplanes, buffets, antibiotics… and it is basically code for “oh boy I hope this works”. Which can make faith in God, seem very abstract and powerless.
What is faith? How do we really use it? Paul does a great job with the definition in Hebrews 11:1 saying, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Let me explain:
CONFIDENCE: We are supposed to have confidence in what we hope for, but what do we hope for? Salvation is our greatest hope. The entire Old Testament of the Bible was a record of people trying to understand, follow and earn salvation. It proved quite impossible for almost everyone. But we can have confidence in our salvation because of Christ.
MEMORY: Remembering to trust in the love of God for us (even when we can’t see it) is the second part of having faith. We are assured of God’s love by the very fact of Christ’s sacrifice, but we must remember. One of the best ways to remember God’s great love for us is by reading the Bible. It’s the longest love letter ever.
Faith is a word that has been watered down in common language. It is a word that has come to stand in for a mere wish or random vote of support. And if that is all faith stands for in your mind, no wonder it has lost its power. But faith is the most powerful tool we have! Here are some verses to remind ourselves of how God views faith.
Faith is confidence in our salvation through Jesus Christ and continually remembering God’s love. That is why faith heals, throws mountains into the sea, fulfills promises, makes anything possible and performs miracles. So I guess I have a question: do you have this kind of faith?
I think it’s natural to find ourselves in a season where an honest answer is… no. If that’s you, stop settling for the kind of faith you have in the milk not being sour or in the to-be-continued after a favorite TV show. Your faith can be the most powerful part about you. Something that gives you strength and courage and joy and power and love.
Let’s all decide something together: we will hold onto confident hope in Christ and will remember God’s love all day today. And then, maybe try it again tomorrow. At least that’s my goal! Join me?
ᖇEᑕᒪᗩIᗰEᗪ GIᖇᒪ 