I always find it refreshing and exciting when Holy Spirit seems to be speaking the same topic to different people. Last weekend I went to Nashville for a wedding shower and was able to attend my Nashville church, Grace Center. I don’t often get back so being able to spend a few hours there with family is truly a gift. That Sunday morning, Jeff Dollar, the pastor, preached an amazing message entitled “What is Faith?” I called my husband on the way home and found out that Pastor Dennis Rouse, senior pastor of Victory World Church (my ATL church home), also preached a message–wait for it–“Faith Toward God.” This week I was asking a few of my closest friends for suggestions for my next blog and both said–you guessed it–faith. When themes like this seem to reappear over and over again, it’s usually a sign that we need to wake up and pay attention. Maybe–just maybe–Papa wants to tell us something.
I think about faith a lot, much in part because I know that a majority of the time, healing comes through faith and obviously, I’m contending for my healing. But even before cancer so impolitely invaded my life, I recognized the gravity of this thing–this power–called faith. It’s mind boggling how a subject can be the center of a new believer’s first prayer yet still baffling to people who have walked their entire lives with the Lord. We all define it differently and I’m sure that definition changes over time but after thinking about this for a few days, I’ve noticed a few reoccurring ideas.
Faith can’t be learned. I don’t say this to discredit pastors who preach on the subject–after all, I am writing about it in hopes it might encourage or give a bit of understanding to fellow Jesus-seekers. However, I do believe that faith is much more than a message (or blog post) or idea. Faith is the fruit of the relationship (or lack thereof) you have with the Father. When I go through periods where I am lacking faith and fear, which is the opposite of faith, begins to take hold, I find myself in fix-it mode. I start to read books and listen to my favorite pastors in hopes that my fears will go away and whatever faith I have left will be multiplied. Maybe I feel better momentarily but over time, I’ve realized that a surface-level fix is just that–surface level and the minute something difficult comes my way, that momentary fix will be eroded and I’ll find myself right where I was. Questioning. Wondering. Nervous. It’s important that we are able to differentiate our faith from the faith of our pastors, mentors, and friends. While I’m so grateful for my faith-filled community, when stuff hits the fan and I find myself face to face with Him, no one else is there…it’s just us.
Faith must be rooted in the word. Gosh, I don’t know why getting this is so difficult. Actually, of course I do–the devil wants us to keep away from the Word so he makes us think it’s not needed. I went through a phase of my walk with the Lord when, for some reason, I just didn’t really read the Bible. I went to church several times a week, led a small group, worshiped at home, all without reading the Bible on a regular basis. I had incredible God encounters and life-altering revelations but as soon as that season began to change into one a bit more tumultuous, I found myself running in circles (not really, I hate running, that’s a metaphor), searching for reason, and finding myself swayed in whichever direction happened to be pulling me stronger. It’s taken me years to realize that spending time in the Word isn’t just a good idea–it’s imperative. Getting into scripture brings a plethora of knowledge, wisdom, revelation, and TRUTH into your mind and spirit so that when something happens that contradicts God’s plans & desires, you can pull out HIS WORDS and fire out truth. One of the pastors challenged us a few months ago to “eat the word like you eat your food” for the next 90 days. Try it. Seriously. It changes everything.
Faith comes alive when you finally believe the Father. Out of everything I say & write, this is what I believe to be most important. We can attend every church service, worship hours every day, and have the Bible memorized but when adversity comes, I guarantee that this will be most important. We have to believe the Father is indeed the Father. Most people would agree that God can heal and sure, miracles happen. But when you find yourself the one in need of that miracle, belief that he can isn’t always enough. You have to believe that He is good enough to deliver his promises and that little ole you are worthy enough to receive it. We hear phrases like “It is finished” and “It’s already done” all the time and if that’s true (which they are-see point #2), it rests on our ability to receive. Oh, how hard it is. How do we get out of our way enough to realize that it is truly not about us.
“And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that He is and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
That verse says it all. In order to believe that he is, we must know WHO he is and there’s no way that can happen without an intimate, no-boundary relationship. We must believe that He is a rewarder–not a punisher. That He IS and He comes to give us good gifts. I hear my pastor say all the time that we can’t be both a victim and a victor. The same is true for being an orphan and a daughter/son. Once we understand the nature of the Father and that we are adopted into his kingdom, we must walk into our role as sons/daughters, ready and willing to receive all the good gifts he has for us and get rid of everything else standing in our way.
Despite the fact that I fully believe what I’m writing is true, I am still on this journey myself. I’m constantly pursuing the Father because I know in His heart, I will be able to fully receive my healing and everything else he has for me. And though I mostly write in the context of my own journey, having and needing faith doesn’t only apply to life threatening situations like cancer but any time, situation, or season that doesn’t line up with Papa’s will.
Faith that exists only when life is easy isn’t really faith…it’s just acknowledgement and a reaction of comfort in what you see. True faith is seen for what it really is when life isn’t as it should be and you must call upon what you “know” instead of what “is.” Faith in the Father must be completely independent and more powerful than anything existing in the natural and should be the source of all joy and strength. It stems from a beautiful and deep-rooted relationship with the Father so that when what you see doesn’t align with who you are, your faith isn’t shaken but instead, propels you to stand strong, remaining firm in who you are and unrelenting in what you know is yours yet at rest in the sovereignty and unending goodness of God.