Faith

 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. -Hebrews 11:6

I think every big concept in Christianity can be simplified looking through the lenses of relationship. Many concepts that make no sense when looking doctrinally seem simple when applied to relationships. Jesus taught like that, constantly using imagery of fathers, sons, brides, bridegrooms, mothers etc. I think we in the west prefer Paul’s theology because it fits better with our way of thinking but the beauty of how Jesus taught is its universalness - it transcends culture because we all have fathers and mothers and brothers. Logic varies by location and mindset but there are always relationships, and in each other them God has baked in golden nuggets of truth.

“Without faith”... What would a relationship without faith look like? Where your spouse says something but because you don’t see it you don’t believe it? When they say “trust me” and you don’t? I would think you can make a corollary - “without faith, it’s impossible to please your spouse!”

You can just as easily tie trust in - trust is the unseen, the belief where faith is action based on that faith. When I say I’ll be home at 5:30, trust is Carla believing it and faith is her prepping dinner for then and telling the kids to wait by the gate. When she says she’ll pay the electric bill, trust is not worrying about it. If I don’t have trust, I still very much feel the weight of the unpaid electric bill until I have proof that it’s taken care of.

Faith gives us the ability to live in the future now. Like with the electric bill, I have the opportunity to live as if my concerns are already resolved and if God has already come through. Actually, thinking about this some of the more insane aspects of Pentecostal faith are starting to come into focus for me. The declaring something as if it already happened, for me, smacked of a lack of integrity and was used as such, saying you’re healed when you are clearly not. However, I can see the original sentiment before the doublespeak crept in.

What kind of things can I do today to show my faith in God? How can I act in complete confidence that God will do what He has promised?  

Lord, show me today my weaknesses and the places I don’t trust in you. Help my unbelief and guide me into a life of even more faith.