What role do you already believe that faith has in your life? I don’t just mean religious faith. I mean belief.
Not sure? That’s probably most people’s answer. It’s not the kind of question we ask each other. It’s not a question discussed in public school. It’s not a topic parents often cover with their kids.
So whatever you believe just sort of happens, and it impacts you whether you realize it or not.
What we believe becomes who we are.
Does that sound true? I’m thinking through it.
What I believe affects the choices I make. If I believe that there’s an extra 5 feet on the ledge of a cliff and I’m wrong, I may step out into thin air and whoosh! I’m gone. If I believe that there’s no bridge crossing the ravine even though it’s there right in front of me, I may never cross over to the other side.
If I believe I’m terrible at math, I may never take a math class beyond what’s required. Not learning any further math immediately prohibits me from dozens of career paths I could have tried had only I learned calculus and advanced reasoning.
If I believe that I’m an amazing singer but I can’t hold the right note, I’ll aggravate my family and friends and eventually embarrass myself in front of an audience (think American Idol).
If I believe that I’m too distractible and therefore unworthy of a larger role in the company, I may never pursue management.
If I believe that my opinions are always right and everyone who disagrees is always wrong, I won’t have many friends (or job opportunities, or influence, or favor).
My choices are directly impacted by what I believe.
Have you ever wondered how a person acquires faith in God?
I have. Because i see one person hear a story and believe it, while another person hears the same story and does not.
What is the mechanism that allows one person to believe?
Here’s why it matters:
You can believe that God exists. And you can believe that Jesus lived a perfect sinless life. And you can believe that Jesus died to pay for your sins once and for all time. And at the same time, you can doubt or disbelieve that God will heal you when you are sick or provide for you when you’re in need.
Why do we ever doubt? Because something in our thoughts and beliefs has already decided based on various points of evidence that there’s an obstacle to God delivering on His promises.
Perhaps you started with seeing a faithful adult believer suffer through a disease. Maybe you saw a family lose their father to a tragic accident. Maybe you watched as a pastor cheated on his wife or stole from the church members.
Whatever the case, you can look at specific memories and recognize that people who believe in Jesus suffered loss and tragedy and betrayal. They were not spared despite being God’s elect. And therefore, you reason, if God didn’t spare them he might not spare me. What have I done to deserve a better outcome than they have?
