In Chapter I, I started with the premise that we have all been given a certain measure of Faith.
The great thing about faith, is that God calls us to stretch and grow our faith. It is like a muscle. It can grow. It is our responsibility, individually to allow God to help us grow that muscle through submission. If you have never asked for God's help to intervene in your life, start with something small. Think of it as rolling a snowball toward heaven. At the outset, it is small. As it grows larger, both the size and the incline make it harder to keep moving, keep going; making it larger. That increasingly larger snowball can represent your faith.
Luke 16:10 says, "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much."
Focus on the positive in the first part of Luke 16:10. Be honest with little, and watch the rewards and the responsibility begin to grow.
I also shared in Chapter I about the difference between faith and hope. While hope is a much more common word in our society, there is a very distinct difference between the two. Both have a natural component of expectancy. Instead of hoping for something, learn to trust in Almighty God, and be committed to trusting him with loyalty. God should be the first, and the last, person we go to. Both in times of great favor, and in time of great trouble.
Therefore, faith is about conviction. I caution you, and urge you, to learn to grow your faith.
In Chapter II, I proposed a question for examining if you are truly leaning on faith:
"How can you have faith without proof?
That question identifies an element necessary for a correct definition of faith. The absence of any burden of proof. How we can crossover to faith without proof? With belief. I have heard some Christians talk about faith by claiming the righteousness of God. God always has our best interests on His heart. There will be outcomes in life for which we don't understand. Our immediate question to God will be "Why?"
Think of the absence of truth as the bridge in front of you (which is not there,) necessary to cross from one place to another place. Imagine that gap as invisible; the absence of that bridge being belief. Go back and reference Mark 11:24.
"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe you have received it and it will be yours."
Not might be, not may be, but will be!
Prayer combined with belief becomes the invisible bridge that allows us to cross. No proof necessary.
In Part III, everything relates to having confidence in the God we serve, and then by default, having confidence in the mission that God has for us. God finished His mission when Jesus died on the cross. Remember the last words of Jesus as he hung on the cross at the very last breath on the day of His crucifixion. John records it in his Gospel this way. John 19:30 says, "When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."
Go back and review the verses that I referenced. Romans 1:8, 1 Corinthians 1:9, 2 Corinthians 1:18 and 21-22, 2 Corinthians 23:24, Philippians 1:6, Hebrews 4:16, and finally Romans 8:28.
Paul writes in Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
Because Jesus fulfilled His mission, Paul understood, by default, that God a) had a purpose for his life, and b) that his mission too would be fulfilled.
Be certain. Have that unwavering compass of confidence with respect that God is leading you and will fulfill the mission He has, according to His purpose.
In Part IV, I shared how we can believe in our purpose. That our "faith muscle" can be strengthened.
John 14:12-17 tells us about some eternal promises, but we must believe. When we do, we receive immediate help. See these promises:
John 14:12 - Very truly I tell you
John 14:12 - whoever believes in me
John 14:12 - will do the work that I am doing
John 14:12 - they will do even greater things than these
John 14:12 - because I am going to the Father
An entire book could be written on John 14:12. Look at the first and last points. Let's call them the bookends. "Very truly I tell you," and, "because I am going to the Father." We are being told. We are being promised. Jesus is saying, without doubt: that if you believe in Him, you will do the work He is doing, and they [collectively] will do even greater things that these.
Not many of you would even begin to think, that you personally, can do things [even collectively?] that are greater than what He did. Jesus, under God's plan, gave everyone who would speak His name in faith as his/her Savior, repent, and ask Jesus in his/her heart the option for eternal life. At that point, we are a child of God.
So once more review the promise and the "why?" They will do even greater things than these (call to action,) and "why, and how," because I am going to the Father.
In Part V, I weaved trust into the conversation of this principle on faith.
There can be no trust in your relationship with the Lord--and others for that matter--without faith. Therefore, we must trust in ourselves, place trust in others that we have a relationship, and most importantly; that trust has to be rooted in faith.
Remember Proverbs 3:5 which says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." Trust has to be given and it must be earned. It is the idea of allowing yourself to believe in another person, with a certain measure of faith.
Trust is quite different when we place our trust in God. We are the ones who are called to act. We place our tithes in the offering, with the faith and understanding that our bills will be paid. We pray despite the answer (we always have one we are looking for.) Our trust must be rooted in belief, and then we trust, so that we may have increasing measures of faith. Some things require little faith, while others a lot. It's not always going to be easy, and it shouldn't be.
Here is an equation: Belief + Trust + Submission = Faith.
We first have to have a relationship with God - Belief
We must believe that God's will for us is better than our own could ever produce - Trust
To trust in Him, we must give up control - Submission
The following three steps will result in faith, and with time greater levels of belief, trust and submission: greater Faith.
Remember in doing this that 1) God wants us to believe, 2)God wants us to trust Him (in all things), and 3) God wants us to submit to His will for us. Why? Because God knows b-e-s-t!
Jeremiah 17:10 says, I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve."
Matthew 6:21 says, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
And Psalm 37:4 says, "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."
I Part VI, I made a statement which also happened to be the title of an article that I wrote for the local newspaper.
"It's hard to have faith!"
Simply put, ladies and gentleman, the above is an understatement!
Despite those who are revered in biblical stories such as Abraham, Elijah, David, Job and Paul (just to name a few,) as having great faith, I am here to tell you that it was not easy for them, and it will not be easy for you. Faith calls for mental patience, emotional stability, mental fortitude, perseverance with respect to time (waiting,) and of course, the proper foundation of:
Belief + Trust + Submission
You have to give your all, by giving up your all. You can't have faith in God solving a part of your problem, or some of your problems. Almost all of you have heard it, "Let Go, and Let God!"
Easier said than done, my friends.
Here is what I do propose. Start with the small things, and work bigger. You can't wake up in the morning when you have yet to develop your "faith muscle" and believe that you can embody Proverbs 3:5-6, which says:
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
Granted, we would all like to have a faith such as this, but the reality remains, "It's hard to have faith."
Start by finding some verses in the Bible that will motivate you toward building faith. One that immediately comes to mind for me is Matthew 6: 25-34. It can also be affectionately called the "Do Not Worry" passage. Let's look at just the first few verses.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life; what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds in the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
If you continue to the end of Matthew 6, you will see that verses 25-34 have many applications. But from this verse, I can have faith that God will feed and clothe me. Why? Because I am more valuable than the birds of the air. And why is that? Because even before I was conceived, the Heavenly Father set out a mission, just for me, that I will complete on His behalf. Just like Abraham. Just like Paul.
Here are a few others to start with:
Luke 17: 5-6
2 Corinthians 10: 15-17
2 Thessalonians 1:3
2 Thessalonians 2:8
and there are countless others.
Start small and build on your faith. We are not only called to have faith, but you can also grow your faith. "It's hard to have faith," but the rewards for having, building and remaining in faith are as immeasurable as the stars in the sky...which--by the way--God put in place.
