In the Scriptures we read this basic principle, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” Each one of us faces the challenge to start from mere belief, to faith. Belief can be passive but faith is always active. The Scriptures define faith as being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. We were created to live by faith, to enjoy life by faith, to excel by faith. Each and every day we get up and face a decision. Will this day be dominated by fear or will it be motivated by faith? That being true, here are six facts about the kind of faith that works in the real world.
1. Believing is seeing. You’ve heard like I have the old saying, I’ll believe it when I see it. But faith is the exact opposite. It’s trusting that what we truly hope for is waiting for us at the end even though we can’t see it. It’s in the ideas of dreaming. Isn’t it fitting that we’re just celebrating the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.? What do we remember when we think about him? A man who had a dream. Faith reaps dreams and visions and hopes in the heart and the mind and then sees them through to completion. It’s much like a blueprint of a building. Who would think of building any large structure without a blueprint? Faith has the ability to create in our mind a blueprint of what God wants to create through us in reality.
2. Willing is winning. God never promises that whenever we race we won’t fail and stumble many times. God doesn’t judge us by the score, the number of medals, or how much we have at the end. He judges the willingness of the heart. Faith is what makes you willing. Some people see something and say, “I’d like to do that.” Others look at it and say, “I ought to do that.” Others look at the same thing and say, “Someone should do that.” Someone with a willing heart, motivated by faith says, “I must do it and I will.”
3. Little is much. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains only a single seed. But if it dies it produces many seeds.” What a beautiful sight. No farmer in the world would take one single seed of corn and plant it for the return of one more or even two. He plants one seed for the return of multiple seeds. You and I can see how many seeds are in an apple, but only God can see how many apples are in one seed. With God, little is much.
4. Getting is giving. Again when you get this into your head, the best way to get what really matters in life is to give. The Scriptures teach that if you want friends, you must be friendly. If you want to have joy, you must give joy. If you want to have peace and happiness, you must promote peace and happiness. If you want hatred, then be hateful and you’ll attract it. If you want forgiveness, be forgiving and you’ll attract it. Give what you want and it will come back to you many times over. This is the law of faith and it cannot be broken.
5. Small is large. The Scriptures tell us not to despise the day of small beginnings. It also tells us that at times our visions are small but we are to nurse them and wait for the proper time and they’ll grow. Remember, only man judges things by weight, volume, and distance run. God judges the small things done with great love. As a matter of fact that’s what Mother Teresa said, “There are no great things, only small things done with great love.”
6. Now is then. This principle of faith basically says what you have to do now what you want to have then. The life you are living today is a result of the seeds you have sown in the past. So if you want a different future, you begin now to start planning that future. You plant today. You get up today. You move today. You do the next right thing today. You do today’s work today. Live in this moment. Plant the seeds. Volunteer. Do more than is expected. Get to work early. Stay a little later than everyone else. Do more than you’re paid for today and tomorrow you’ll be paid for more than you’re doing. Now is the time to start to prepare for what’s up ahead.
I am going to challenge you this week to enjoy the walk of faith. And remember, we walk by faith, not by sight.