Years ago, I had thought about what the most important thing was when it came to Christianity. And, while there are too many to count, grace is vital, but the other thing that stuck out in my mind was faith.
“Without faith, it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that His is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”
Hebrews 11:6 (NASB)
When we were children, we trusted our parents to protect us and keep us safe. It’s a natural born instinct to trust our parents and authority (unless they’ve proven untrustworthy) because it is the way we’ve been created.
Olivia (who is a fictional character for the purpose of this post) grew up with adoptive parents. When she became an adolescent she began wondering about her life. She had more questions than answers. How did she know there was a Jesus? How did she know who created the world? And how could she know what laid beyond our world in an infinite universe when her eyes could not see? How could she know that she had biological parents?
And that is the question:
How Can You Believe In Something Your Eyes Cannot See?
Olivia wanted to believe that these things were true. She needed to believe them. She needed to believe that Someone had created her, our universe, and that she had real parents. She wondered how some people had faith to believe in things they couldn’t see, and others didn’t.
She began at her local library. Surely she’d find some books on the subject of faith. Although there were many, it seemed that some books had their own definition of faith. She walked away more confused, and her question still remained, “How do I get faith when I have little, or none?”
How do I get faith when I have little, or none? Click To TweetBefore leaving the library, she scanned the spines of some books and found a title that caught her attention. It had nothing to do with faith, but rather, adoption. It was titled, When You’ve Been Adopted. Curious, Olivia slipped the book off the shelf and found a quiet corner.
As she began reading, she had an eye-opening experience. She knew she had been adopted, therefore, she knew she had to have biological parents even though she’d never met them.
How did she know?
Instinct? Maybe. Faith? Yes.
We are all born with a natural instinct to believe that God indeed exists no matter what anyone has to say about it. Just because someone doesn’t believe God exists doesn’t mean that He doesn’t. We can’t base truth on feelings, or on your own beliefs if they don’t agree with God’s Word. It’s possible to talk ourselves into not believing God is real, but is this reliable? Some believe there are no absolute truths, but does this mean that there aren’t any if you base it solely on what you think is true?
Truth doesn’t depend on feelings or emotions.
You see, Olivia had never met her parents, yet she knew she had parents. How did she know? How could she know for sure that she had biological parents when she had never met them?
Faith.
“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)
Olivia began to understand that she was the “evidence of something she’d not seen: her birth parents.” She knew she had birth parents because they were the (unseen) evidence of her existence; she was the product of their creation, therefore, she knew they existed because she had been born.
It is the same with our Creator. We have been created by Someone, and I believe it is God, even though we cannot see Him because we are the evidence—the product—of His existence.
This opened Olivia’s understanding of what real faith was. She began to understand that the truth to her existence didn’t depend on whether someone could see her or not, the truth depended on the evidence that she had been born. Truth isn’t dependent upon what we think we believe is true, but rather our faith is dependent upon the unseen truths that we know to be evident. This is called blind faith: believing in something you can’t see, and basing your faith on the evidence that exists.
People can believe in all kinds of things, but this doesn’t mean that those things are legitimate. Most people believe in things they can see, but this isn’t what faith is. Real faith is believing in something you can’t see.
My Struggle Was With Grace
Like Olivia struggled with faith, I struggled with grace.
Unfortunately for me, I had faith in many areas of my life except one: God’s grace. This was the lie I believed. His grace was for everyone but me, and it had always sounded too good to be true.
I pictured Him pointing His finger at me when I fell short.
I struggled with this for years; most often living in fear, and therefore, missing out on His joy. Fear steals your joy and holds you captive because it causes you to be afraid of making decisions/mistakes. And when you’re afraid to step out in faith because you’re afraid to make mistakes, then you stop growing.
I’d become frustrated and depressed. Then the day came when I reached the end of myself. God, in His mercy reached down and turned the light on in my world. I had no place to look but up. I realized that no one could save me from my dilemma but Him. Grace.
It was a frightening experience, and sometimes we must go through the valleys in order to reach the mountaintop. A weight was lifted, and I was finally free to live life without fear.
So, how does real faith in God and Jesus begin?
Where Does Faith Come From?
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”
Romans 10:17 (KJV)
“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
John 20:31 (KJV)
This is the perfect place to begin your journey of faith in order to establish a firm foundation of faith. Many times, people believe in something by allowing their emotions to guide them, but faith must be based on God’s Word. Emotions are good, God created them, but emotions fade. Just because we feel that something is right or true doesn’t mean it is. We must always check our emotions with God’s Word. We need that firm foundation of faith that will hold beyond our emotions.
When we begin our faith journey in God’s Word, we establish a firm foundation that can’t be shaken. As we read and study His Word, we begin to develop a deeper understanding of things, and as our faith in Him grows. We realize that we’re not always going to be happy, sad, or depressed because emotions come and go.
When we read about His universe and the life of His Son, Jesus, He speak to our hearts and reveals His truths. And the seeds of faith are planted, watered, and grow within our hearts because they are nurtured by the seeds of His Word, and they become a testament to His truths.
When we truly seek Jesus, God will guide us to His Son Click To TweetSeeds of faith are planted, watered, and they grow within our hearts because they are nurtured by the seeds of His Word; they become a testament to His truths.
If we truly seek Jesus, God will guide us to His Son through scripture. The book of John was written to convince people that Jesus became flesh.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” ~ John 1:1-5. (NAS)
“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; receiving the end of your faith, even the saving of your souls.” ~ 1 Peter 1:8,9 (NAS)
He speaks through His Word. He reveals His will through His Word. “Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you…” ~ James 4:8 (NAS)
A Foundation For More
Your Faith & your Foundation will grow through Scripture.
Even though He speaks to us through His Word, this is not the only way our faith grows. He works in our lives in other ways to help our faith to grow along our path; sometimes through others.
It’s so important that the youth of today know how to obtain faith in God so they can know that there are absolute truths. If not us, then who will go before them and teach them? If they don’t believe God exists, or Jesus, then they can be swept away by the false doctrines that will only hinder them from discovering the “faith that is pleasing to God,” instead of choosing a path of destruction.
Faith for the Faithless
Do you know someone who is struggling with faith in Christ? Someone who may benefit from this post? If so, please share it so that they may know the meaning of real faith and come to the knowledge of the truth.
How has your faith helped you in your walk with Christ? Did you struggle with this? We’d love to hear so others may benefit.
“Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” ~ Colossians 4:6 (NASB)
Related Reading
About the Author
Debbie Erickson’s love of writing began at an early age. She enjoys encouraging and inspiring others through her writing, and to discover their God-given purpose so they can grow their faith and passion and pay it forward to spread the love of Christ. God and Jesus Christ are the Rocks of her salvation and the air beneath her wings, and partners in her life’s journey.
Beyond writing, she enjoys family times, her dog Ringo, and spending time with her husband who is the love of her life. He taught her how to golf twenty years ago, and they’ve been golfing ever since. Debbie also enjoys spending time outdoors in the summer working in the yard and gardening. You can connect with her online at Debra-Erickson.com.
Also Available…
If you feel like you’ve lost your hope, take a deep breath… and take a step toward a brighter future with Debbie’s book, Hurting Hearts Need a Light. It isn’t a step-by-step guide to instant success, but an inspirational read to help guide you in a direction that offers hope and encouragement. Available on Amazon.
(Reminder: We participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program)
Leave a Reply