The key of faith
Monday, May 13, 2013
* Linda Rose Ingrisano
Last time I shared with you that, while going through some difficult times in my life, the Lord gave me keys to help me along my journey. I understood that these keys were the tools that would help me to follow God’s ways, not mine; another way to say this is to act from my faith, not react from myself, from my dysfunction.
This first key is the key of faith. Faith is the foundation for the building of our spiritual life. It is my hope, my dream, my purpose, my healing, my comfort, my stability, my end and my beginning. Without my faith, what is there? What is my purpose? Why am I alive? I believe that I have been fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps 139:14) That God began a good work in me and He will perfect it until Jesus comes (Phil 1:6). That I am gifted for the purpose of glorifying God, and that God is with me always and knows me better than I know myself. So I can put all my faith in Him.
Where do you first remember learning about your faith? Was there a person or persons in your past who inspired you? Maybe you are like me and didn’t grow up in the Church and had parents who didn’t talk about God. Perhaps you grew up in an abusive situation, or were the victim of trauma, loss or any number of other tragedies, and can’t wrap your head around the concept of faith: If God is real, where was He for me? More to the point: I can’t be very much loved by God after all that has happened to me.
I had a real problem with that very thing. If God is real, where was He for me? Where was He when my child was suffering, my marriage fell apart, my Dad died in a tragic boating accident, I lost all material possessions? How do I have faith in someone I can’t see or hear who is supposed to love and care for me? It took lots of decision-making over and over again to try believing, to try standing on faith. I had to look at the barriers I put up within myself, the false visions I had of God because of my life experience and various other challenges.
Remember, we are not of this world. We are in it. We are to act on what we believe — our faith, not our vision, not our reasoning, not our imagination, not our brokenness.
If you find that you just can’t understand many things in your life, if you worry and have anxiety, anger, disappointment, fear, and are unable to act on your faith: Ask for faith! God will give you more than you can imagine. God will give you the grace to look up and not around.
Pray: Thank you Lord for giving me faith so that I will act from faith rather than from myself.
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