Faith

I came across another quote today that not only inspired me, but made me think a great deal about myself.  Lately, I’ve been feeling as though I’ve been making progress on my Journey back to Christ.  I feel like I’m getting better.   And then I read this.

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.

It seems to me that I’ve gotten confused about what faith actually means.  I don’t’ know why, but I’ve been acting as though faith means a belief in God.  And this thought made me think of a bible verse that made me chuckle a little bit the first time I heard it. 

James 2:19 “You believe that there is one God.  Good!  Even the demons believe that – and shudder.”

Ok, so that put me in my place real quick.  The occupants of hell have more faith than I do.   Then I started to think even more.  Of course they have more faith about God.  They’re demons.  So faith can’t just be belief. 

Then I remembered that the bible actually defines faith and shows examples of faith.  I couldn’t remember where it was (sorry mom and dad), so I googled it. 

Hebrews 11:1-6

“1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4 By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. 5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

The first verse struck me like I’d never heard it before.  Certain of what we do not see (God) AND sure of what we hope for.  So, that was a little confusing so I looked more at the examples that followed.  All of them are people that had so much faith that they were commended by God, usually after the person had done something to show their faith.  All of the examples made it seem like faith is an action.  We have to live by faith.  Not by sight.  We have to trust that God is here for us.  That reminds me of the story of Jesus walking on water.

To sum it up, Jesus walks on water and one of the disciples asks to come down from the boat.  He also walks on water a little bit and then looks around.  He sees the waves and the wind and starts to get scared and he begins to sink.  He calls out for help and Jesus catches him and says “you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

This strikes me a little bit weird as well.  Growing up, we read this story and it was like “yeah, dude, what are you thinking?  Don’t doubt like that.”  But now, as an adult, it seems different.  He’s walking on a lake that may be unstable because of the weather and he gets scared.  Of course he got scared.  I would too. 

So, now I’m confused, right?  What I’ve learned so far is that I should have faith no matter what is going on around me.  Then I start thinking “man, am I doing something wrong?  Why can’t I have faith?” 

But then I started to think and it’s not like that.  That disciple that got down from the boat was Peter.  One of the most influential (in my opinion, as well as Paul) disciples there was and, in Catholicism, thought to be the very first Pope.  PETER had doubts.  And Jesus still accepted him and trusted him.  And he went on to do amazing things.  I’m not failing for doubting.  I just need him to catch me from time to time.

I’m not walking on unsettled waters or walking through the valley of death, but I’m going through things that I have to pray about.  I admit that it’s very hard for me to have that kind of faith.  I suppose it’s something I need to work on.

Change

Changing

I was looking up quotes and verses to post on my facebook for today and something led me to the book of James.  1:26-27

 

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

²⁶ If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

This passage is fairly beautiful to me.  It’s convicting, very well stated, and has a lot of points to talk about and the one that I want to talk about particularly today is in the last verse.  James says that pure religion is to visit orphans and widows in times of need and to keep myself unstained from the world.  I keyed in on the last part. 

There’s other verses that talk about not being changed by the world, and while growing up, I had learned that that meant to not give into “worldly” desires.  The big ones like drugs, fornication, etc.  the big no no’s of our society that fall in line with Christianity.  But its more than that.  In James, there is a connection made between religion, helping people in need, and being unstained by the world.  I look at that, and I think, that doesn’t make any sense.  It doesn’t flow.  My religion is to help others in need and not do the big sins?  Can’t be just that.  That doesn’t fit. 

So I looked more and found Romans 12:2.  “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

So I began thinking, what if being ustained by the world meant being unaffected?  What if not letting the world change me meant not becoming jaded by all the evil and horror in the world.  Then it fits.  THEN it’s like a command to help others in need perhaps even though there are so many in need that its overwhelming.  Or maybe helps others in need as much as you can, even when they don’t want it.  Or just as simple as taking the time to care about that one homeless person that we may walk by on a daily basis like its NORMAL.  Like its ok.  Then, it fits.  

I don’t know about everyone else, but I’m jaded.  Sometimes I feel like I’m sick of the bad stuff of the world and I just want it all to stop.  I want to go to my house, shelter my kids, and make sure nothing happens to them.  I want to not help people that don’t help themselves.  My reaction to what happens in the world has made me selfish and untrusting.  And, to me, that’s worse than any of the big no no sins.  I’ve gotten to the point to where I don’t care anymore.  And that is directly against what my religion should be.  But I can change.

 

Buddha said that “All that we are is the result of what we have thought.” And “Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.”

Proverbs tells us in chapter 4, verse 23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Luke Tells us that “ The good man out of the good [a]treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil manout of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from [b]that which fills his heart.”

The fact that wise people spoke and/or wrote about it, makes me, again, think that it’s not easy to change or come to grips with and it’s very common problem to people.  So I started thinking “ok, it’s a common problem, they’re talking about it, therefore, I can change.”

I can change my thoughts.  I can change my heart.  Therapists have told me that if I practice enough, it will become reality.  The bible itself tells us what to focus on. 

 

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

 

I believe the bible and sayings are telling me to focus on what’s pure in the world.  Have an undefiled religion because I’m not jaded by the pain here, but uplifted by the strength that can be found if I look.  Search for the good and try to help those in need just as Jesus did.