Right Thinking Wrong Thinking…Faith
There is a lie that Satan likes us to believe. It is a lie that he has been telling since ancient times. In fact it is found in the oldest written book in the Bible. Job.
The lie? If you only have enough faith only good things will happen to you. If you only believe enough you will be healed, you will be fertile, you will never experience financial stress. In fact if something horrid or difficult happens, it is somehow your fault either due to sin in your life or the weakness of your faith.
Wrong Thinking: Since I have faith in God, I will live an easy life without hardships. If hardships or illness come, I only need enough faith to get out of them.
Heart Issues: I deserve only good things from God in return for faith in Him. High expectations and entitled living. Ungrateful, unsatisfied with what you have because you deserve more.
Actions: Faith is not something you do, it is something that serves you. However it is a heavy burden to make sure you muster enough faith. Enough faith will heal cancer, ward off financial problems, and keep your kids from making poor choices. When difficult times do come into your life you experience a faith crisis because you though all along you had enough faith.
Let me say here: God is not a vending machine and you don’t just punch in a certain promise and get what you think your faith deserves in return. God’s ways are much different than ours.
Right Thinking: I trust God with all the circumstances in my life. He is able to do anything, but He may choose not to act or to work circumstances out drastically different than I imagined. He uses everything the good, the bad, and the ugly to bring glory to Himself. He is most glorified when I accurately reflect Jesus in my life.
Heart Issues: I trust God despite my circumstances. I know He is able to do all things and I will ask for miracles, but I know that even if He does not do what I ask He is still God and He is still good. Faith in God means knowing whatever the outcome that He knows what is best for me and everyone involved.
Actions: You show that you trust God despite the difficulties surrounding you. You have a peace that passes understanding and a joy that gives you strength. You are able to worship and honor God even when you face painful circumstances. You know God’s character and rely on Him to walk with you through the dark times.
What do you think? I can’t wait to discuss this with you!
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When I was younger, I often found myself frustrated with my circumstance. I thought I deserved better. Didn’t I pray enough? Didn’t go to church enough? Didn’t I do enough good deeds?
What I so easily forget is that Jesus Christ already paid for all of my sins. How can I pay for something I already been given? It took me a long time to understand that I don’t earn my salvation. I must accept it.
And I think that’s where Type A people like me are especially susceptible to Satan’s attacks. We want to see a plan, then we want to see progress on that plan. We want to know the inner workings of said plan so badly that we forget the most basic truths.
God is good, all the time. He’s there when we soar to the highest of spiritual crests, and He is there when we dive down into the lowest of spiritual troughs. And if He is with us, what can stand against us?
I think you make some very important distinctions here, Angela. Especially in the differences between pridefully having faith versus remembering to humbly serve because of this undeserved grace He gives us.
I kept thinking of Hebrews 11:1 throughout this post.
Caroline, you are right. We often think we are having “great faith” when instead we are deciding it must be our way.