We all know what faith is right? Most of us can quote the proper Scripture…
Now faith is being sure of we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1, NIV
I must admit, however, that I still struggle with the practical concept of faith (and maybe I always will). This morning God put the word “faith” in front of me too many times to ignore…and all within on passage of Scripture…
We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ
…
People are made right with God when they believe that
Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood.
…
It is based on faith. So we are made right God through faith and not by obeying the law.
…
There is only one God, and He makes people right with himself only by faith…
Romans 3:22, 25, 27, 30; NLT
God is at work within me to clarify what I truly and practically believe about this word and concept: FAITH. He is at work and I’m trying to listen and learn. The process won’t be over today. And don’t get me wrong…I know what faith is. I’ve studied the word and I am a believer and follower…I have faith in God. God is working at a more practical level. How am I living this concept of faith? What does it mean for my everyday?
As I said, the process will take some time. God wants me to wrestle with this and come to terms with it. But I think I know where it’s heading. Practically, the question is if I am truly trusting God with everything. Is He who and what I turn to always? Do I only need Him or do I think I need other things? It’s hard to explain…and I feel like I’m missing it completely (maybe that’s because it’s still churning within me?). Eldridge hit on it a little bit in my reading from Walking with God this morning (and I’m sure he says it much better…he does have an editor after all)…
There is no greater disaster for the human heart than this—to believe we have found life apart from God. And this shift I’ve been describing—this coming to believe that what I don’t have but long for I actually need—is the opening stages of the disaster. For whatever reason, we have come to believe that God is not enough. (Page 183, emphasis mine).
My faith…lived in practice…has something to do with believing (deep down) that I can only find true life in God and that He is more than enough…I don’t need anything else. More to come on this topic as God continues to reveal His truths to me on this topic.
What are your thoughts about this FAITH word? What insights do you have that you can share? We’re all part of this journey and I really do want to hear what God is speaking into your heart and life…it helps me along the journey too…
Related Posts: Gaps in Our Faith | Huck & Chuck: Episode 3 - Faith | Have A Little Faith |
My reading this morning from John Eldredge’s Walking with God has struck a cord with me…and has me wrestling with this foundational life question:
What is the right way to look at life?
Before you read on too far, how do you answer this question? How do you look at life? Is it random? Is life hard? Is life supposed to be easy? Is life about getting stuff?
The right answer is that life is supposed to be about God…about loving Him and getting to know Him personally. From the book…
The first and greatest command is to love God with our whole being. Yet, it is rare to find someone who is completely given over to God. And so normal to be surrounded by people who are trying to make life work. We think of the few who are abandoned to God as being sort of odd. The rest of the world—the ones trying to make life work—seem perfectly normal to us (Page 87).
This has me thinking today about how I look at life. Am I just trying to “make it work” or am I truly focused on making God the priority in my life? Am I taking His blessings and making them idols? Do I think of God as “a means to an end rather than the end itself”? John makes the point in this chapter that too often we are looking for God to make us happy…when the only way that ever happens is by us selling out to God. By loving Him with everything that we’ve got.
And God doesn’t often play a passive role in the idolization (is that a word?) of our lives. He desperately wants our hearts to be in the right place, focused on Him. In fact, it’s on this point that God promises to test us:
The Lord your God is testing you to see if you
truly love him with all your heart and soul.
Deuteronomy 13:3, NLT
This leaves one final (and probably obvious) question: Are you and I passing the test? Only you can answer that one for yourself. Me? I’m working on it. 
Related Posts: Just Passing Through | The Test | Friday Fodder 11-7-08 |
I have been reading a new book by John Eldredge called Walking with God for a couple of weeks now. I am only about about 70 pages into the book, but had to write about it before I was anywhere close to being done with it.
Plain and simple: You must read this book…immediately (if not sooner).
This is one of those books that is life changing! It will transform how your think about walking and talking with God. It has challenged me, encouraged me, and brought me to my knees more than once. Eldredge addresses spiritual issues that I have simply either been ignoring or didn’t know how to deal with them.
John is sharing his own struggles and his own walk with God over the course of a year…and it is an encouragement to the reader to see how he deals with daily life and walking with God through the process of life.
Have you ever wondered if (and how) God speaks to us? Ever wished you could have such a close, intimate walk with God that you could have conversations with Him? Ever wondered what it would be like to deal directly with the life wounds you’ve been carrying around for so long you don’t even remember when or where they started?
Then get this book today and start reading it. Don’t read it cover to cover in one sitting…take your time and let God use it to speak to you…and to teach you to listen to His voice. This is almost a money-back-guarantee. If you do buy the book and start reading it, please come back here and share your thoughts and comments on the book and how it is (or isn’t) affecting your spiritual journey.
Here’s the jacket cover description of the book for quick reference:
Walking with God moves through a year in the life of John Eldredge showing and teaching what an intimate relationship with God looks like day to day.
God longs to speak. And it is our right and privilege to hear His voice. Our deepest longings could all find sufficient fulfillment in God’s company. Yet, somehow, the looming discontent of most Christians is a lack of intimacy with God. Walking with God is unlike any book John has written. It moves through a year in his life showing and teaching what conversational intimacy with God can be like. It teaches readers how to make decisions aligning with God’s will, understand barriers and “agreements” keeping them from the life God intends, fight spiritual battles for their own heart and for others, and much more. Ultimately, Walking with God shows readers that walking intimately with Him can be a normal part of the Christian life.
Related Posts: Listen and Walk | A God Moment | What Should I Read Next? |
