(Foundation, Attitude, Inspiration, Trust, Hope)
What is faith? I have often found myself asking this question. We use this word a lot, but what does it really mean? We say we have faith in God, faith in our favorite sports team or faith that something will turn out the way we want it to. The English Oxford Dictionary defines faith as a “firm trust or belief in or reliance upon something”. So how do we gain that firm trust? Is it even possible to have complete faith in something or someone?
Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” I think that the most important key to building our faith is to have a good foundation. Where do we get that foundation? It comes from the Word of God itself, the Bible. If you want to build up your faith, you should start by reading the Bible. For some people this is easier than others. It can even be intimidating at first. Some of you may know the basic Bible stories you learned as a child, and others of you may have never opened a Bible in your life. So how do you delve deeper into what the Bible has to offer you? It can be hard to know where to start.
If you are just beginning, one of the best places to start is by reading the Gospels, that is Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These books will walk you through the life and ministry of Jesus and help to give you a better understanding of what He came here to Earth to do. I find that the more I read the Bible, the more it increases my faith. No matter how many times I read, I always seem to find something new.
If you do not have a Bible of your own, or if you are searching for something that will help you to better understand the Bible, the Help Finder Bible can be a great resource. If you follow this link, WayFM will even send you a copy of this Bible for free! (Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with the Help Finder Bible or WayFM. I just find this to be an amazing resource to the community!).
Another thing that I have found to be good for my soul is to memorize passages of scripture. As I teach my daughter, we often memorize passages of scripture together in school. We just finished memorizing Psalm 23. Not only does knowing scripture give you a better foundation in your faith, but it also gives you something to turn to in times of trial. When you are feeling lost or scared or worried, you might find yourself returning to this scripture to help you through.
One of my favorite hymns reminds us of just how important it is to build our foundation on Christ.
Another important aspect of faith is attitude. By attitude I don’t mean that sassy response from your child when they think they know better than you! Attitude is how you approach your life and your faith. We all know that person, and maybe it is even you, who always seems to have a bad attitude about everything, and I mean everything. No matter how hard you try to please this person, nothing will ever be right. So let’s think for a minute. Why do you think this person is like this? Perhaps they have endured a lot of hardships throughout their life that leave them feeling this way. Perhaps they feel lonely or empty inside. They might even be depressed. How can we help this person or ourselves?
It is easy to fall into the trap of bitterness and resentment, especially when things keep going wrong in our lives. It’s not always easy to turn that attitude around, but if you can change that attitude into a positive one, you will begin to see such a big improvement in your life. Philippians 4:8 says this, “…whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.” If we focus on the good in life, we can improve our attitude towards it and in turn grow in our faith.
Inspiration. This is such a big part of our faith. Look around you. What inspires you? Where does your inspiration come from? For me, nature is a big part of my daily inspiration. Just stepping outside and taking in all of the glorious creation that God has made inspires me. It’s hard to look around at creation and not want to thank God for all the wonders He has created! I just visited my local zoo this past weekend. They were having a special orchid display throughout part of the zoo. My husband teased me as I had to stop and take pictures of every one, however I couldn’t help but to be in awe of the beauty and uniqueness of these amazing flowers!
Think of this verse from the Gospel of Luke chapter 12:24, “Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!” If God will provide for all the rest of creation, then you must trust that he will provide for you! Sometimes we may not see the ways in which He provides for us, or it may not happen in our time, but we must have faith that He will take care of all our needs.
Another important part of where we gather our inspiration comes from who we choose to surround ourselves with. Psalms 1:1 says, “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers..”. When we choose to surround ourselves with the wrong people, it is hard to keep our faith strong. Our minds are too easily influenced by the thoughts and actions of others. If we, however, choose to surround ourselves with people who are good influences on our lives, we will watch our faith grow stronger. So be careful who you get your inspiration from.
The next thing to consider when thinking about faith is trust. Faith and trust are two very similar ideals. When we trust in something we believe with all of our being that it is true. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6. We cannot always know what is the right path to take. Life presents us with so many challenges and decisions every day, decisions that will affect ourselves, our family, our future and so much more. Sometimes it can be overwhelming. It is so hard to always know the right thing to do. This is where prayer plays a big part in my life. I am constantly praying to God to lead me in the right direction and help guide me in my decisions. I know that I am lost without Him, and I have to trust that he will provide for me and lead me along the right path.
Let me just say right here, THIS IS NOT EASY! If it were always easy to know the right things to do, how much better would our lives be? This is where faith and trust play such a big part. Sometimes we have to make decisions that are way beyond our comfort level. One of the hardest decisions I ever made was deciding to pull my daughter out of traditional school and opt for home school instead. There were so many “what-ifs” rolling around in my mind. When my husband and I finally committed to that decision and made the plunge, it was such a weight lifted off our shoulders, and it has proved to be one of the best decisions we have ever made for our family! We had to trust that God would help and guide us along our journey, and He has!
The final part of faith that I want to talk about is hope. Hope is something that touches everyone at some point in their lives. Hope is that feeling and belief that things will someday be better. Hope is knowing that there is light at the end of the tunnel. But where do we get our hope from? “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:5. It’s so easy to put our hope in things other than God. How many of us have at one point put our trust in others only to be let down. Politicians, world leaders, friends, family, co-workers, and the list goes on and on. When in reality, we should be placing our hope only in God. God will never disappoint us. He will never let us down.
Now, I know what you are thinking. If God will never disappoint us, then why do things sometimes not go our way? Why do bad things happen to us? God never promised us that life on Earth would be easy. Because of sin and the devil we will face many temptations and trials in this life. What God does promise us is that when our life in this world is through, we have a place waiting for us in our Father’s house. Jesus speaks these words to us, “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” John 14:2-3. Jesus has prepared a place for you! In this place there will be no more dying, no more tears and no more pain. We will live in Glory with our Lord and Savior! What better hope is there than this? If we can rely on this one true hope, it will certainly strengthen our faith in the Lord.
So when you think of the word faith and what it means to you, remember these things: foundation, attitude, inspiration, trust and hope. Your faith is something that will continue to grow. It is not a one time gift that you receive and then just let it sit on the shelf; it is a work in progress. If you focus on the fundamentals of your faith and building that better relationship with God, you will truly see His glories come alive in you!
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