Welcome to my blog. If you are new, I am in a series of posts focused on the action of faith in our lives. This is the 3rd installment so check out the first two before you read this post… Oh, and we are glad to have you join us!
“Hello, is there anyone out there?” Does that sound like a question you have asked God when you can’t seem to locate where God might be… or if God even IS?
I’ve asked it and I think many of us have asked it when we are wondering, where is God when we need God? Inside of that popular question put to God in a moment of despair or uncertainty or just plain anger, lies the initial problem humanity has been wrestling with when it comes to connecting with God.
Okay, well here’s a great place to begin part 3 of our What About Faith? blog post. I’m hoping we can move this conversation down the road by the end of this post. We’re not leaving WAF? behind, but these first three posts should put us in a position to move forward with some level of fluency in this matter of faith.
I happen to believe that God has set us up. I know that statement (set us up) is often used in a negative way. But, what if there was a Creator God who created you with a purpose for your life? That is certainly the assumption which many confess to have, even though only a few live out their lives as if they actually believe it.
Now, if you were born with a purpose and for a reason, how would you discover what those were? Most do it on their own and that of course is assumed to be the reasonable way to do this. You know, pick yourself up by the bootstraps and all that. Or, be a self made woman or man, (whatever that means) I’m not making fun here, I am simply stating that this is the way most of us, if not all of us, are inclined.
Attempting to be our own arbiter as to our purpose and reason for living this life is, to me, a scary proposition especially when we can’t see or predict the future. This Pandemic has revealed that for us common folk. It may have been predicted, but even medical science is largely incapable of predicting mankind’s response to the virus. And as we have seen, mankind, at least in America, has proven it doesn’t want to pick itself up by the bootstraps now. We have shown we do not have the will to do what we do not want to do. We have shown that we value our independence well above an offer of interdependence.
So bear with me and let’s go back to this idea that if God has set us up, that could be a very positive thought. It doesn’t cut us out of discovery. It may give us an even better chance to discover who we were made to be. It may challenge us; in fact, it should challenge each of us because interdependence will require at the very least some level of faith.
Couple of weeks ago in our series Faith Transitions I spoke on this topic of Faith In 25 Words Or Less.
First 5 words – Faith is a dynamic state.
Meaning faith is alive, fluid, innate. For faith to survive it must continually be upgrading and transitioning.
Next 6 words – Faith is lived in relative certainty.
Meaning faith is a gift given to imperfect people like you and me. Dr. Peter Enns in his book, The Sin of Certainty, writes, “Struggling with uncertainty transforms faith in ways nothing else can.”
Next 7 words – Faith is about matters of ultimate importance.
Meaning it is significant, meaningful, and substantial. It is about orienting oneself to what is universally true. It isn’t departing from reality, it is closing in on reality. Faith deals with how we conduct our lives, make our decisions, cope with suffering or pain, and establish our values.
Final 6 words – Faith is a catalyst for action.
Meaning if my faith doesn’t result in action on my part then my faith is only an opinion. Anyone can recite a creed but to say that God exists without pursuing the life God offers… is not faith. It is merely an idea which I am not committed to.
Faith matters. I remain convinced that every human being has faith in their lives. Whether it is active or dormant, dynamic or static… it is there. We are all at the very least responsible for considering and exploring faith’s possibilities.
Let me close with a couple of thoughts. First, I write this blog because I am deeply invested in being a part of the conversation that is shaping this culture. I honor who you are and where you are on faith right now. At the same time, I share what I have come to believe about faith. Second, I do this because I have come to see faith as the leading edge of my life and in the lives of many others whom I have the privilege to journey with. As always, I am grateful that anyone would give me a listen, so thank you for reading. Now, how about responding? Your voice matters, make it known.
We’ll have another post up by this weekend so please check back. And finally, I want to thank my awesome wife Lynda who is taking her time every day making contacts and building a following for this blog site. It’s great to have someone in your corner; it’s even greater for that someone to have known you for 50 years.
MC
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