What does it really mean to have faith? We say we have it, yet do we live it in our daily lives? There are some that do, yes. But most often, I would have to say people lack faith.
Paul tells us in Hebrews 11:1 what faith is…”Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
I’ve thought a lot about this particular verse in seeking to understand why it is that I continue to suffer from chronic pain. It has caused me to think a lot about my hope and where it lies. I do carry a lot of hope that one day I will be free from the daily suffering, but I’ve come to understand that it is not in the end result that we carry hope, but it is in the journey toward the end result that it abides. And that journey of hope has brought me much gain. The fulfillment of peace and the exuberance of joy are two of my greatest treasures. But faith has become the essence of my Christian life.
In Mark 11:22-24, Jesus said, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Faith that moves mountains. Faith in yourself that you can move a mountain will not gain entry into the sea. But faith that God will move the mountain for you will move it beyond the depths of the sea.
It is too often that we base our faith on the end result rather than the blessings we received during the journey. It is then that we may begin to lose hope and life becomes a chore.
Where does your faith lie? Does it rely on the outcome of daily life or is it found in the hope of your daily blessings? Must you have proof of faith, if so, then it is not faith at all.
In my faith journey, I have refocused my hope. It is not on the hope of the physical being, but it is hope in the spiritual. For my physical self is dying just as is yours. But what lies within my spiritual being is the promise of Jesus. He has moved mountains for me. My hope is that God allows me to use His strengths, gained through faith, to bring blessings upon another. My hope is that my blessings flow into you and that you share them with another. And God is faithful. He has used me to reach out to others in ways I never thought possible; just as He uses others to bless me. It has been and continues to be an awesome journey. It is a journey of growing Christians. Christians who find that hope lies in salvation and salvation is discovered in what we sow each and every day.
I have learned to stop staring at the mountain before me and to look for the space between the mountain and the sea. It is there that I’ve discovered faith and where my hope lies so preciously.
Thank You Jesus for the faith, hope and love you’ve given me.
God Bless,
Tracie
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