Fearless Faith

I know some people who seem to have unshakeable faith in God – no matter what struggles, uncertainties or disappointments come their way. Unfortunately, I am not one of those people. Right now, we are all definitely experiencing an unprecedented, uncertain time. And I’m kind of freaking out. I didn’t stockpile toilet paper but I must admit that I have an ample supply of coffee and wine.

These are the types of questions that are running through my head:

Will I or any of my loved ones get the Coronavirus?
How will this affect the economy?
Will I ever be able to retire?
How long with this last?

It’s much easier to have faith when things are going well and somewhat according to our plan. But the fact of the matter is that life is messy and there will be difficulties and, yes, uncertainties. This is when my faith often wavers. Instead of trusting in God, I plan, doubt, worry, fret, and try to control.

What is faith? Hebrews 11:1 provides a definition, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Faith is the result of believing the good news that Jesus died for our sins and that we can be saved by faith. Faith causes us to act on what we haven’t experienced yet, to trust promises in the Bible that haven’t yet been fulfilled, and to trust God while we are waiting for our situation to change.

Hebrews is like the faith hall of fame. Honorable mentions in Hebrews 11 include Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and more. In my opinion, one of the most amazing acts of faith in the Bible is Abraham’s willingness to give up his own long-awaited son when God asked him to.

Here are a few of the many benefits of faith:

• Faith produces joy and peace (Romans 15:13)
• Faith expresses itself through love for others (Galatians 5:6)
• Faith results in obedience (Hebrews 11:8)
• Faith extinguishes all of the flaming arrows of the evil one (Ephesians 6:16)
• Faith conquers the sinful pull of the world (1 John 5:4)
• Faith helps us to be men (and women) of courage (1 Corinthians 16:13)
• Faith makes us bold with strength in our soul (Psalm 138)

I don’t know how people get through the difficult seasons in life if they don’t have faith. I don’t want to imagine a life where there isn’t a God to place my faith in!

Faith sounds great! So, what do we need to do to get more of it?

• Ask God to Help With Your Unbelief
  In Mark 9:14-29, when a man with a demon-possessed son cried to Jesus, “I believe; help my unbelief,” Jesus responded by strengthening the man’s faith. Likewise, we can ask God to strengthen our faith.
  
• Listen to His Word
  Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ”. The answer to weak faith is returning to the source of our faith and immersing ourselves in His word.
  
• Swap Worry for Worship
  Instead of giving in to worry, we can take the time to praise God for His protection and presence. Even when we’re at our most uncertain, He has everything in His hands. Spending time worshipping Him can remind us of this and give us hope.
  
• Choose Faith
  Ultimately, I believe that faith is a choice. It means seizing God’s promises despite how weak and downcast we may be. The more we choose to believe the easier it becomes. When my faith starts to waver, I ask myself what the alternative is. When I think about that, it quickly redirects me to put my faith in God.

A Couple of Other Thoughts

God tells us that “his ways are higher than our ways.” (Isaiah 55:9) So, it just makes sense that we should turn whatever we are worried and uncertain about over to him, the one who is all-knowing. That’s the only way that we will have peace.

And remember, this too shall pass. 2 Corinthians 4:17 says ^“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” They may not feel light and momentary but this is definitely not the end of our story. He has a great plan for each of us. We should have faith that He will be with us and carry us through.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Isaiah 43:2

REFLECT

Does your faith waver at times? Is so, in what situations?

What will you do to strengthen your faith?