Hey everyone, time is marching by it seems. Hope everyone is well and keeping their chin up. Some days it is hard in this crazy world. With this pandemic, world changes and people, well it is hard at times. Atleast it can be for me. Doesn’t it seem that with all the decrease interaction with people, people become less kind? More self focused, more out for themselves at times and less for their neighbors? I don’t know, maybe I just focus on the emotional side of things, but it just seems we have become jaded in some ways. Maybe we have lost faith? This is the one word I wanted to write about today. It is a multi dimension word. A name, a verb, a noun. It is meant to give hope, it is meant to bring peace. Faith of a mustard seed and sometimes it feels like we don’t even have the mustard seed faith.
I know there are times I struggle. I try to control situations or try to figure things out for myself to not be a burden on anyone else. Faith can sometimes be the opposite of self. Faith is like a muscle and you have to work that word for the muscle to get stronger. Faith in God, faith things work out for a reason, faith in another human being. One word but it is so multi dimensional. Sometimes my faith is so strong and sometimes it is so weak. Sometimes I put faith in things or people that maybe are not where I need to be placing my faith. How about you? Faith as a verb is powerful. Being faithful can be fulfilling. Being faithful while waiting for the plan to work out can be a struggle. And that struggle is real my friends. Being faithful to your responsibilities, being faithful to time spent in your relationship with God, being faithful in your relationships. To have faith is one thing, to practice it is a whole new direction.
How is your faith? Not asking that to change this to a prideful, boastful thing, but think about it. How is this one word in your life? Mine is sometimes all over the place. I sometimes lose faith in myself for the amount of decisions I make on a daily basis, sometimes my faith steps aside and my flesh side steps in, sometimes losing faith in people is so heartbreaking and really changes the faith in alot of things. My faith in God is there and sometimes it is strong and sometimes that old devil wants to get in my ear. Any of these things sound familiar? I think they probably do if we each were to be vulnerable and honest. I have tried to work harder on my faith aspect. It isn’t something I can do on my own. I am reading more in my Bible studies, placing my faith and hope in the One who loved me even before I was born. Having faith that He will put the people in my life that are supposed to be there. I am working on me a bit. The outward shell may look rough, but the inner most parts of me are getting worked on. My brain, my heart, my soul. Do you ever realize how much you are being self relient? It is a pride thing. It is also self protection thing. If I do it on my own, I will owe no one, I make it about me and I cut people out of the blessings in life. Having faith in other humans is trickier than any other faith relationship. Sometimes when that faith and then trust is broken, well our faith and tolerance become less and less. Having faith that people are inherently good and yet they refuse to let you in or respond makes us lose a little bit of hope and yes faith. It seems that these faith stealers get the attention while the faith builders stand in the wings. Are you a builder or a stealer? Do we sometimes build so much for others we forget to take care of our own faith? I think the answer could be yes.
Faith is like that bicep muscle. When you use that muscle and lift weights, the muscle gets stronger
With faith there isn’t a tangible weight to lift per se and not having that real life object to see, we sometimes lose sight of the power of faith. Faith in His word and that this isn’t our only home. Faith in ourselves, faith that He ultimately knows the fate of our lives while we scurry around trying to change our life versus listening to His voice. I am guilty of this. I become weak in the mind, flesh and spirit. I think I can speed up His process and that lessens my faith and increases my pride.
I have tried to be better about realizing that I am not a one man band. I can’t play the instruments to the beat of my life, be vocals to the story of my life. I can’t be the set up and clean up crew without exhausting myself. I can’t be my biggest fan all the time and have anything to offer anyone else. I have tried to be better in letting things go. It is a work in process. My anxiety for outcomes, for what others think of me weakens my faith. Reaching out to discuss past wrongs or feelings of forgiveness met with resistance weakens my faith. Judging myself or others weakens my faith. That rope we hang on to starts to weaken and the threads loosen. Maybe that is because we keep tugging on that rope and pulling too hard? Maybe we take time to knit that rope with a stronger weave? That we know we may slip, we may have to tie a knot at the end of that rope. Maybe we should realize that this rope could be a lifeline to pull us out of the mire. That the stories and people in our lives, God, ourselves are part of that rope. That there will be some weak spots and we acknowledge them and we work on securing those weak spots with faith. Faith that He is in control. Faith in people even when they may not deserve it. Faith in ourselves as we face challenges and work our way through the quagmire of life. To realize the ultimate thread is faith in something bigger than us. We complicate life, we complicate relationships, we complicate this life we have been given. The thread of God needs to run through our lives. Not just when we want or need something, not when it is convenient, but something on a daily basis.
Feel like your faith gets tested? Weak in your faith or strong as a lion? Ashamed of your faith, boastful that your faith is better, or just trying to find your way? I know I have fallen in all of those categories. So what do we do. We work on that side of our life just like we do in other aspects in our life. We exercise faith. It won’t always be easy or perfect but we have to keep trying. If we quit trying then we have lost a part of faith. We lose so much on a daily basis, why sacrifice faith as well. Place faith in Him knowing that He has a plan and he knows your heart. Place faith and self worth in yourself (not in a narcissistic way or detrimental, but knowing that you are worthy, that you are wonderfully made no matter the situation or person). Be faithful to the people in your life, be faithful to God, to relationships, your job/career, be faithful in your praise more than your whining. One simple word, 5 letters. A word that can open your heart and soul. One simple word with depths of meaning and actions. Think about it and have faith that things will work out according to His will and purpose. Have a blessed day all.
