A virtue beyond the limits of sight...
What can I say about Faith? Suppose I had to prepare a sermon; what scriptures would I choose?
Pastors quickly flock to Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
That’s the most common scripture used for Faith. And maybe some will flock to the verse about the mustard seed and moving mountains, not to mention that it is impossible to please God without Faith. We all love the idea of Faith, but no one has ever really read the whole chapter, didn’t they? What about Hebrews 11:39-40?
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
It’s not about how much Faith you have; It’s about how long it lasts.
Do we still have faith in God when things go wrong? Or is our Faith intact only when things are going well?
Is our Faith conditional? When we read the story of Job, we come across a man who remained faithful to God even though he lost everything. Then we have Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who refused to worship an idol of defiance whether God saved them or not.
So, how do we define Faith? Is it something that is always functioning? Of course, it is!
We all need natural Faith, it’s whenever you switch the light on, you always expect that the globe will light up the room. Suppose the globe doesn’t shine when the switch is activated, then what? It’s pretty simple; you can change the globe, the switch or the wiring. Everything is pretty much in control.
But when it comes to the things of the supernatural, you have no control, no answers, no solutions but to believe. Your only option is to trust God.
I’ve been a Christian for 16 years and encountered many believers with whom I have worked. I’ve seen many Faiths fade away at the strike of tragedy, crises, loss and death. They had Faith, but a certain catalyst in life triggered the absence of it. Pain is the most intense factor that eradicates Faith. To test this, I’ve asked people when a tragedy occurred, and they stopped going to church, and you’d find it was around the same time. Life is filled with highs and lows, and people neglect God at those two points.
My conclusion is this:
Do we believe in God no matter what comes our way? Or are we spiritual golddiggers, only serving God for what He can give us instead of who He is? Jesus wondered if there would be Faith on the earth when He returned. That’s a good question. Will we be faithful until the end, or will we give in to the pain and the circumstances surrounding us?
