The Faith Equation

What is faith? What are we to do with our faith? How is our faith to be put into action? What does God expect from us? Is our faith merely for our benefit?

Faith is more than mere belief. We believe what we choose to believe, but it doesn’t always cause us to act. We can believe something is true and refuse to do what is right based on the truth. We can believe and take action based on our belief. There is a choice involved that turns belief into faith.

Do not misunderstand, faith doesn’t come without belief. Yet belief can occur without faith. For example, we can believe the posted speed limit is based on calculations that determine a safe speed for the road we are driving on. But we can ignore that truth and belief. Putting faith in the belief it is a safe speed would cause us to drive the speed limit. Imagine this—if everyone drove exactly the speed limit, there would be no rear ending of vehicles since they would all be traveling at the same speed. Now, I know that doesn’t account for all accidents, but it would significantly reduce the odds. This is also a very simple example.

How does this translate to our faith in Jesus, in God? If we believe He spoke the truth when He taught during His ministry and we put His teaching into action in our lives, that becomes faith. Belief, trust, and action add up to faith. Belief alone is not faith as James tells us in the second chapter of his book.

So, what are we to do to demonstrate our faith? We are to go about doing what God has planned ahead of time for us to do. Some of those tasks are general tasks for every follower of Jesus. They include spreading the gospel, bringing people into the kingdom of God, and joining with other Christians to encourage, strengthen, comfort, care for, and love one another.

Yet God’s plan for each of us is unique. He has a variety of tasks for us to do. We must listen for God to speak to us to know what His plan is for us. There will be times when we must step out in faith, doing something we cannot do without God stepping in. It can be a little scary. But once we experience God stepping in to accomplish what needs to happen, our faith increases.

I pray we all go beyond simple belief. I pray we put our trust in God. I pray each one of us takes action based on our belief and trust that demonstrates our faith. Listen for God. Trust God. Put your faith into action. Join your faith with others. Execute God’s plan.

Matthew 24:45-47 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.”

Faith of a Mustard Seed

Are there times you feel unprepared? Do you sometimes feel weak? Have you experienced feeling as though you lack knowledge or wisdom? Does it seem as though your faith is being tested and is woefully lacking?

We all go through times when we feel as though we are drowning or being overwhelmed by circumstances. Our minds race to figure out how to survive. Our anxiety reaches high levels. We strive harder and harder to catch up. We forget who we belong to.

Trials and tests come along. It often seems when they hit, several hit at the same time. We are blindsided by an unexpected failure. A manager tells us a deadline has been moved up. Our spouse walks out the door. There is a death in the family. The car breaks down and needs repairs. The anxiety, fear, and stress can land us in the hospital.

If we remember we belong to God, it is only to cry out to Him for help. We may admit He is in control, but we wonder if that is true in the back of our minds. We make statements like, “I know You are in control, but…” Our faith is being tested.

I remember a time when I was in a very trying situation. I had sold my house and was due to sign the closing documents the next day. The moving truck had picked up nearly all my belongings. However, there were some things I was not going to move, or I was moving myself. It was getting late in the day, and I still had too much left to do. I cried out. The answer I got? “Do the next task, then do the next.” You know what? It all got done and I got some sleep that night. I can’t tell you how. As far as I know, God slowed down time to allow me to get done.

As we see in today’s passage, we are not alone. The apostles cried out. They were faced with new instruction from Jesus that appeared to be unachievable from a human perspective. They believed Jesus would not tell them to do something they couldn’t achieve but saw no way to obey successfully.

Jesus’ response was simply have faith. Even a small amount of faith can accomplish big tasks. Not because we suddenly become superhuman, but because God steps into the equation. Rather than relying on ourselves, we rely on God. I believe Jesus was also telling them, “You have enough faith, put it to work.”

I pray we all put our faith to work. I pray we remember who we belong to. I pray each one of us exercises our faith and calls God to step into the situation. Trust God. Exercise your faith. Rely on God. Call Him into your situation. Cry out for His help.

Luke 17:5-6 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”

The Ultimate Plan

Have you made long range plans? How far out have you planned? Five years? Ten years? Have you been part of a planning team to make plans for a business? The larger the team or corporation, the more complicated those plans become, don’t they?

If a company is going to last, they must plan ahead. Most companies have multiple plans—short range, mid-range, and long range. The plans support the goals of the company. Large companies will have high level goals for the overall company, while the plans supporting those goals become more detailed at the smaller business unit levels of the company.

Would you be surprised to hear God had a plan? He did and does. His plan has been in effect since before time began and is still effective. Can you imagine a plan that has been implemented for thousands of years? God’s plan is the most important plan of all. His plan is to save as many people as possible, granting them eternal life with Him.

Unlike our human plans, God’s plan doesn’t depend on our being good at our jobs. It depends on God’s grace. God’s grace existed before time. Our salvation existed before time. It came to fruition when Jesus came to reveal God’s ultimate purpose. The only requirement on our part is to put our faith and trust in God.

Upon our acceptance of God’s grace, we cross over from death into life. This may be a hard concept for us to understand, but it is describing an eternal state of being. You see, without God we are doomed to an eternal death. With His grace, we are granted eternal life.

What is the definition of death and life? Death is being separated from God. Life is being with God. Simple. Perhaps that is why God’s plan has lasted for thousands of years. It is a simple plan that anyone can understand. On the other hand, perhaps its simplicity is what makes some believe it can’t be true. We make things far more complicated than they need to be.

I pray we all accept the simplicity of God’s plan. I pray we put our trust in God’s simple plan. I pray each one of us chooses to accept God’s grace by putting our faith in Him. Accept God’s plan. Accept God’s grace. Put your faith in Him. Trust Him. Cross over from death to life.

2 Timothy 1:9-10 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Be Still

Are you longing to know God better? Do you wish you understood His plan for your life? Would you like to know what He is thinking? What are you willing to do to gain the insight you seek? Are you willing to sit still and be quiet?

God makes Himself available for us to get to know Him. He isn’t hiding from us. He isn’t running from us. God is patiently waiting for us to come to Him. Therein lies the problem. We aren’t longing to know Him.

There are some who will rail against God. They accuse Him of abandoning them. They blame Him for bad things happening in their lives. They strike out against his followers. Unfortunately, they have been caught in one of Satan’s traps.

To get to know God, we must desire to know Him and be willing to spend time with Him. We can’t see Him, which makes it challenging for us. We are also challenged by a demand on our time from all sides. Our boss demands more productivity and perhaps overtime. Our family wants us to go to events with them. Our church asks us to participate in activities or take on responsibilities. And the pastor tells us to spend quiet time with God.

Spending quiet time with God must become a priority and a discipline if we are to get to know Him. Yes, we are being pulled in multiple directions. True, many of those are important. However, for our own peace and health we need to spend the quiet time with God.

There are some who will argue they cannot afford the time. They are caregivers. They need to take care of their families. Those may be true, and we can set aside spending quiet time with God for a short period of time. Yet, if we don’t take time to take care of ourselves, spend the quiet time our soul needs with God, we won’t be able to take care of others well.

We know something about God. We will readily admit He created the earth and all that is in it. We will state God is far greater than we can imagine. We may even believe He has a plan for our lives. But will we decide to go beyond simply knowing about Him and pursue getting to truly know Him.

I pray we all decide to know God. I pray we make spending time with Him a priority. I pray each on us will discipline ourselves to spend quiet time with God regularly. Seek knowing God. Spend time with Him. Make God a priority. Discipline yourself. Go beyond knowing about Him.

Psalm 46:10

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”

The Quiet Life

What is your desire in life? What is the one thing you want more than any other? Have you spent time listing all your wants and prioritizing them? Which of your wants are true desires and which are merely nice to haves?

We all have wants, things we would like to have or do. In my observances of people, we chase those wants far more often than we build a plan to have our hearts desire. We spend time buying or doing little things for momentary satisfaction rather than taking steps toward our true longing.

For example, I’ve seen people who spend a few dollars on little plastic toys for their children rather than saving their money and putting it toward a new bicycle. Now, I know, this is a very simple example, but I ask you to use it as a measuring stick against your other wants and desires.

We have heard the saying; you get what you pay for. This not only applies to purchasing quality products versus cheap products, but it also applies to life itself. When we choose the easy way out rather than doing what we know is right or best, we have lost.

How do we gain the strength and courage we need to stand for what is right? How do we know what is right? Our first step is to know God. We get to know Him by being quiet and spending time with Him. God has been and continues to patiently wait for each of us to spend time with Him.

As we get to know Him better, we start prioritizing His desires above our own. We start seeing the truth of the matter. We come to realize that living a quiet life is what’s best for us. What does a quiet life look life? It’s rather simple. It is refusing to chase after the world. It is refusing to allow the world to set our priorities. It is being satisfied with what God has blessed us with.

Now, it is not wrong to have worldly possessions. However, it is wrong if having worldly possessions is more important to us than God. Those worldly possessions become idols, whether we are willing to call them that or not. Living a quiet life becomes an abundant life in Christ.

I pray we all take time to review our wants and desires. I pray we set priorities, putting God at the top. I pray each one of us will choose to live a quiet life. Review your wants. Set priorities. Make God your top priority. Be satisfied with God’s blessings. Live the quiet life. Live an abundant life.

1 Thessalonians 4:10-12 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

To Know

How long does it take you to get to know someone? How well do you know your parents? How well do you know your spouse? How well do you know your siblings? What do you do to get to know someone you recently met through work or school? How well do you know your friends?

We know some people well and others not so well. We are close to family and friends. We know our workmates to some degree, but there are many things we don’t know. We know far less about people we recently met.

We know far less about someone we have seen from a distance. For example, we know very little about celebrities. We only know what they or their publicists are willing to share publicly. We don’t really know them, we only know their public persona.

To get to know someone, we spend time with them. The more time we spend with them, the better we get to know them. During that time, we talk with them. Through conversation, we relate stories and hear their stories. As we grow closer, we start sharing feelings and desires with one another. We begin seeing the inner person not just the outer shell.

The same approach holds true to get to know God better. As we spend time with Him, we get to know Him better. As we share our feelings, we grow closer to Him. When we listen for Him to communicate with us, we begin to hear Him speak to us. We learn to keep the communication channel open with God at all times.

Learning who God is solidifies our understanding and belief that He created us. We realize we belong to Him, that He cares for us, and will guide us through every step of our lives. Our faith is strengthened as our knowledge of who God is grows. Knowing we belong to Him gives us comfort, peace, joy, and contentment.

I pray we all grow in our knowledge of God. I pray we seek to know Him better. I pray each one of us realizes we belong to Him and He cares for us. Know who God is. Grow in knowledge of Him. Know you belong to Him. Know God cares for you.

Psalm 100:3

Know that the Lord is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Watch God Work

What obstacles do you face today? Are there enemies who are looking to destroy you? Do you have a mountain to climb? Are you facing a major test? Are you hoping help will arrive soon? Have you thought of being still?

We face many challenges throughout our lives. Someone is facing an uphill battle today. Another is being chased by an enemy. Still others are being tested to the point of breaking. All are longing for someone to help, someone to pull them through.

We may lean on family and friends to help us in time of need. We may lean on the government to provide for us. Those may be good options. They may be able to provide for the physical needs temporarily, which may be enough to get us over the hump. They may be able to provide some emotional support for a while. Yet, there is another who can provide for every need.

God is always available to us. He promises to fulfill our needs. Not merely our physical and emotional needs, but our spiritual needs, too. Our spiritual needs are very important. Without those filled our lives are imbalanced. There is no peace.

God works in unconventional ways. He tells us to be still and allow Him to work on our behalf. That isn’t exactly our way of going about it. Most of us are doers. We take care of things ourselves. If we can’t get it done, we hire someone else, or rely on family or friends to get it done. Being still, doing nothing is not how we approach things.

Our approach is fine, if we’re talking about repairing a vehicle, buying groceries, planning a wedding, and the like. But it doesn’t work well when we are struggling with emotional and spiritual issues. God’s way of tackling it works. Our way often falls short.

There are times God steps in to take care of our physical needs, much like He did for the Israelites when they were fleeing the Egyptians. Notice when God is going to take care of it, He gives a clear message to be still. In other words, He tells us to get out of the way, to sit on the sidelines and observe. It is nonintuitive for us. We want to be in middle of the fight. We want to do something. But God says to stop striving, take a rest, and watch Him work.

I pray we all take time to be still. I pray we stop striving to fix things only God can fix. I pray each one of us recognize when God is telling us to step aside and allow Him to work. Be still. Trust God. Watch God work. Rely on God. Trust His promises.

Exodus 14:13-14 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Whole Heart

Have you spent time pondering what your beliefs are? Are there times when you feel as though there is a hole that needs to be filled within you? Do ever ask yourself if you truly know and understand who God is?

We were made for relationship. We can go back to the creation story and see that Adam was lonely, so God created a helper for him. It was not until there were two that satisfaction could be achieved. It was even better when there was three.

You see, when Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool of the evening, at that moment they were most satisfied. It was the relationship among the three that completed the circle of relationship. It was a relationship that God cherished as well.

God longs to be in relationship with us. He longs for us to know and understand who He is. He has put a plan in motion that will open our eyes fully in the end. When we are spending eternity with Him, we will finally fully know Him. Yet, we can know Him better today. We can spend time more time with Him building our relationship with Him.

God told the prophet Jeremiah He would give us a heart to know Him. He has done so. Our heart longs for a close relationship with God. We yearn to have the hole in our heart filled by Him, which only He can do perfectly.

I love that God promises He will be our God and we will be His people. We know when God makes a promise, He keeps it. We can count on God to be with us always. Doesn’t it feel wonderful and comforting to know God is with you?

Notice He says we will return to Him with all our heart. How amazing is that?! No more half measures. No more half-hearted, going through the motions worship. No more worries about this world. We will worship God with every fiber of our being. We will be filled with a joy that is beyond comprehension for our human minds. Can you imagine?

I pray we all seek a closer relationship with God. I pray we ask Him to fill the void in our heart. I pray we turn our whole hearts to Him. Seek to know God better. Trust God’s promises. Seek to improve your relationship with Him. Give Him your whole heart.

Jeremiah 24:4, 7 Then the word of the Lord came to me: “I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.”

Praises Lifted

Have you felt the exhilaration and pure joy of celebration? Have your spirits been lifted to new heights through music? What is it that brings you joy to the point of tears? Have you praised God with that kind of joy?

We shed tears for a variety of reasons. Most often we associate crying with being sad. But we also cry tears of joy and of pride. They are closely related. We can be both proud and joyful at the same time and they can move us to tears.

Perhaps we are both proud and joyful when a child accomplishes a major achievement. It may be a grandchild. The achievements can range from sports championships to music awards, from graduations to job promotions, from marriages to newborns. We have those proud parent moments that are filled with joy and the tears start falling.

The older I get, the more often those moments come. It may be rare that I cry tears of sadness, but let a child achieve something special and I get choked up quickly. I believe that is a tiny bit of insight into how God feels when we do something He wants us to do.

I also have found my spirit lifted to new heights when going to a Christian concert. Music has a way of lifting our spirits. Some songs sung in church will bring tears to my eyes. There is a moving in my spirit that touches me somewhere deep inside. Music often has connections. Some songs remind us of a loved one or a special event.

Our spirits are also lifted when we give praise to God. When we are thankful from deep in our heart for what God has done in our lives, we experience a swelling in our chest. We may even feel a little lightheaded or as though we are floating. Our eyes light up. We have a smile that cannot be contained.

Here is the kicker—God celebrates along with us! He is joyful when He hears us giving Him praise. I imagine Him saying, “_______ gets it. He/she finally understands who I am.” God loves us and loves to hear us give Him thanks for all His blessings.

I pray we all praise God for His blessings. I pray we sing praises to Him with a lifted spirit. I pray each one of us give God the thanks He deserves and longs from us. Praise God. Give Him thanks. Be joyful in spirit. Be lifted to new heights. Know that God is smiling on you.

Psalm 18:46

The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!

Exalted be God my Savior!

Be Amazed

What is your view of God? How do you see Him? Is He an awesome God, Creator of all things, Maker of beauty and wonder? Or is He a genie in a bottle who you expect to deliver your every wish? Have you spent time seriously pondering those questions?

How we see God, deep in our hearts, makes a difference in how we approach life. Seeing Him as the Creator of all things, the beauty in the world—waterfalls, mountains, rivers, flowers, and all kinds of animals—causes us to live life one way. Recognizing and appreciating He gave us the very life we live changes our outlook on that life.

When we see God as a genie in a bottle, we view life differently. It is all about what we want, what we desire, what we decide. We believe it is up to us to make every decision. We look at everything going on all around us as random acts and events. We fail to see God in them.

There is a stark contrast in those two viewpoints of God and life. One brings us occasional happiness, a fair amount of heartache, and leads to destruction. The other brings us joy at all times, a confidence God will make everything alright, and leads to eternal bliss.

Changing our viewpoint of God isn’t easy, especially in our fast-paced world. It requires us to stop, be quiet, and meditate on Him. It requires us to spend time truly seeing the amazing creation He created. It requires us to get out of our harried mindset and be calm before Him. It requires us to begin depending on Him rather than ourselves or someone else.

Seeing God as He truly is, Who He is, and recognizing all He has Created will change our lives dramatically. Our perspective on life and the people in our lives will be altered forever. Our trust that He really can carry us through whatever we face will come naturally. We can face tomorrow, no matter what it may bring.

I pray we all spend quiet time meditating on God. I pray we see His wonderful creation and are amazed by it. I pray we trust Him with whatever we face and live in the peace that only He can give. See God for who He is. Open your eyes and see His creation. Meditate on God. Allow Him to give you peace. Be amazed by God.

Isaiah 37:16 “Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.”