Posted by Wendi on September 5, 2009, 2:30 pm
What is Faith?
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen." Hebrews 11:1
When we think about faith, what first comes to mind are the famous Bible stories. Moses' faith led the Israelites to freedom (Exodus). David had faith to face Goliath (1 Sam. 17). The walls of Jericho were brought down by faith (Josh. 6).
But is that all faith really is? Is it some kind of magic wand to make good things happen if you only have enough of it? There are a lot of preachers and evangelists out there who would have you believe that is the case. They get up there on Sunday morning and proclaim the power of faith, promising great things to those who wear it on their sleeve as it were. Some will even go further, casting blame on those who suffer, saying their faith simply isn't strong enough.
I guess they forgot that the disciples were laborers and fishermen, who left their posts and walked away from everything they had in the world, at a moment's notice in order to follow Yeshua. If that isn't pure faith, I don't know what is. Yet, their lives were not perfect. They were not rich. They had their share of troubles, being persecuted, imprisoned, exiled, and even killed for their faith.
And what of Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers as a child (Gen. 37:12)? His faith never wavered, and yet he faced trials and tribulations in his life. Or how about Daniel, taken as a young man into captivity in Babylon, where his faith never wavered though he faced persecution and death. Faith wasn't a magic ticket to the easy street for them, though their lives did turn out better than they could ever have imagined in the end.
So, what is the point of faith then, if it doesn't make everything better?
Think about when you were a child, and you bumped your head or skinned your knee. What did you do? You sought comfort - from your mother, from your father, from the adult that was responsible for caring for you. You knew, instinctively, that being in their arms would make you feel better. It didn't un-bump your head, or un-skin your knee, but you could bear it because your caregiver was there.
Your life isn't guaranteed to be perfect if only you have enough faith. In fact, the Bible tells us over and over that we will be persecuted for our faith, but we will be blessed because of the same. So obviously, faith in God isn't about making life on earth perfect. Look up Matthew chapter 5, Luke chapter six, or anything in the first and second books of Timothy for more on this.
Faith isn't about using God as a "cosmic boo-boo fixer," to quote the words of a friend who is "undecided" in faith. It's about trusting that God will be there when we go through life's hurts. It's about knowing that there is something out there that is bigger than us, that created us, that is good. It is about believing - knowing - that God is real, because our faith is as tangible as the chair you are sitting on or the computer screen you are reading this on.
Reading suggestion: Hebrews 11
Discussion questions:
1. How do you define "faith?"
2. What Biblical character do you admire most for their faith?
3. On a scale of 1 - 10, how strong do you think their faith was? How strong is your faith?
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