Just have Faith.

Bear with me. This has been on my mind for a long time. I had a couple of drafts about my kids, my friends, and pedicures. And I promise you those light-hearted pieces later this week. But today, can we chat about one of my favorite topics?    FAITH. 

So you know where I'm coming from, I am a Christ follower. Beginning a relationship with Him almost 10 years ago has made all the difference in the world to me in my life. I don't expect you to be a Christian, and my intent is never to try to convince you that "my" way is the "right" way. I'm not perfect. I have a lot to learn. But so far, let me try to let you into how I view this "faith" thing people keep talking about. 

I had a random conversation a while back with a guy at the gym that really got me thinking. The topic was about FAITH. He was a little frustrated with faith because everyone he talked to would say things like: "you just have to have faith", but never explain to him how to get it. 

When I think of FAITH, I think to myself, I just have it. I have faith that God loves me, that HE made me, that He’s with me all the time, and knows every single detail of my life. I have faith that He adores me, that I’m his beloved, and that above ALL things, He wants me to prosper, and be in good health, as my soul prospers. I think of FAITH as something I know to be real, even when I can’t see it. And this knowledge gets me through even the yuckiest of days. 

I think of how many times I’ve candidly given the same answer to people who are searching: "You just have to have faith".  And only after this conversation did I realize how many times I’ve missed the boat. 

I picked up a book that I read when I first began my walk with Jesus. A book called “The Laws of Prosperity" by Kenneth Copeland. And right there, in chapter one, was the beginning to my answer on the whole Faith thing. See, when I read my Bible, the Word of God, I believe it, and I act on it. I don’t question it. And the more I do this, the more faith is created. 

Here’s my answer to the “Just have Faith" answer. It's not possible on our own. It was never intended to be possible on our own! On the first page of the book, was the answer. 

Romans 10:17 "So faith comes from HEARING, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ". 

You can’t just have faith. First, you have to hear about it. Then, you have to hear about it again, and again, and again, and again. 

I HEARD the good news. And I’m thankful that I was at least curious enough to want to know more. And the more I wanted to know, the more opportunities seemed to open up to hear about Christ again, and again, and again. I found a great church where they taught from the Bible, offered bible studies, and I found myself growing.  I listened to the sermons, took notes, and treated every morsel of information as a feast.  I hung out with people that also followed Jesus and observed their actions. At first, the concepts were foreign to me, but the more I learned, the more FAITH I had that it all was true. The more it made complete sense because I could see God moving in my life the more I sought him.  The more I heard, the more I applied, and the better my life became. To the point that I NEVER want to live without Jesus ever again. He’s that addicting to me. 

See, our faith in this God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit is in direct proportion to how much we seek, read, understand, and apply the Word of God. Back in 2003, when I first began this walk, it was really hard for me to understand how the Bible could impact me, or even, where to start. I didn't really know if what was in it could be relevant to my life. So I relied on interpretations by Christian authors like Og Mandino, Joyce Meyers, Joel Osteen, John and Staci Eldridge, John and Lisa Bevere, and Florence Littauer to get me started. And as I read, I would cross reference scripture found in those books to my bible. And over time, this FAITH MUSCLE has grown. And the Bible makes so much sense to me. It has become an instruction manual for my life. When I feel weak, I turn to it, and it strengthens me down to my core.

IT’S KINDA LIKE WORKING OUT. The more I strength train, the more cardio I do, the stronger my body becomes. The leaner my muscles get. The better I do with studying about, and getting the proper nutrition into my body, the better results I have to show for it. 

IT’S THE SAME WITH THE FAITH MUSCLE.  The exercises to build our faith muscle are not that difficult.  Try a couple of the following out consistently and see how your life will change:

Find a bible teaching church. Go every week!  Find a group of people to encourage you in your walk. Study the bible with them. Ask lots of questions. Be still and have a conversation with God every night. Be thankful for all you have and thank God for your blessings. Don't be afraid to ask God for the things your heart desires... He put those desires in you! Listen to Life 101.9 in the Cedar Valley (or other Christian stations) for uplifting Christian music. Read the Bible (start with a children's bible!). Read 10-15 minutes a night out of books written by Christian authors (I can give you a bunch of titles and authors if you want. Just comment on this post below).  Start journaling!

So “Just have Faith" is NOT the right answer. We have to develop that FAITH MUSCLE every single day, little by little, by spending time with God, reading his Word, and applying what we learn to our lives. Just like working out and eating healthy. And in the beginning, it’s really hard. I slip all the time when it comes to my quiet time with God, reading, studying, DOING (kinda like with diet and exercise). But I know that if I continue to try, fail, and adjust in my walk with Christ, then I’ll be a better person tomorrow than I was today. And hopefully I’ll never find myself telling someone who’s searching to “Just have Faith" ever again.