Enduring Faith

 

    Faith is not a one time choice. It is a part of your life.  You are called to endure when things are uncertain, scary, or quiet.  When faith gets hard turn to God in prayer.  He may tell you to trust Him.  When He does, then go to God's Words.  Read His promises.  Remember all the times He has come through for you.  Remind yourself that you are not alone in this and that He will come through again.  Remember the end game goal.  You are living life now that is flawed and hard sometimes, but your faith is working to have eternity with God in perfection.

    Your faith is like a muscle.  You have to work it out.  When things are hard that is when you find your limits and then you start working to be more faithful in those areas.  Your are working to be steadfast under every trial and find renewed strength in the Holy Spirit.  Your faith is where you find strength, hope, and the ability to endure.

    Faith is often compared to athletic training, especial cross country running.  It gives you a visual of what is happening in the spiritual.  The path has ups, downs, unseen holes, heat, cold, and other elements that make it unpredictable.  The secret is to stay focused on the end goal so that you can remember what you are living for and fighting to have a close relationship with God.

    You are not able to endure on your own.  You need the Holy Spirit to help you.  He is your spiritual guide.  He will lead you through the danger and hard times.  He wont lead you around, but He will get you through safely if you trust Him.  As you go through things He will provide you understanding and wisdom.  It can take what feels like a really long time (years) to get through some things, but in the spectrum of eternity it is not that long.  It is for your benefit that you go through it.  It will burn away things that put distance between you and God leaving your more pure than when you began.

    Faith is a life journey.  It is not a one time event of declaring your believe in Jesus.  It is deciding to walk with Jesus for the rest of your life.  This path is not always understood by people, but you are doing as God commanded and that is what matters most.  

    Enduring faith is learning how to love like Jesus, confront sin, and be angry without sinning.  You learn grace, mercy, kindness, and more.  You shed preconceived ideas of what being a Christian is like a pushover, doormat, or being perfect.  You learn how to judge according to God's standards.  You do not judge people, you judge sinful behavior.  This takes time and maturity.  This does not happen over night, in a year, of even a few years.  Your maturing will look different from other people.  Some areas will come easier for you and you will have to work harder in other areas.  

    The things to remember is that you will never be done in your journey in faith until the day you meet God face to face.  When you enter Heaven you will finally be the perfect version of yourself.  You will be ready to worship and live with God without any distractions.  All the things that tear you apart, hurt, or confuse you will be gone.  This is what you are working toward.  In heaven you will no longer have to be strong or courageous because there will be nothing to fear.  You will be your truest self without any defenses, walls, or need for security because you will have everything your need and more.

Joshua 1:6-9, Judges 6:33-35, 7:23-25, 8:10-12, Psalm 46:1-3, Isaiah 40:28-31, Romans 5:3-5, 15:12-13, 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, Galatians 6:7-10, Hebrews 12:1-4, & James 1:12-15

God's Weapons

 

    Christians are spiritual warriors for God.  Our battlefield is unseen.  It manifest in the world, but the front line of battle is in prayer and spending time in God's Word to understand better how He fights the battles.  If you are a Christian, then you are a weapon to be used to show Jesus to the world.  You are not called to be nice, but you are called to be loving.  Telling the truth is not nice, but it is kind.  If you do it in love, then it can change the things happening around you.

    Like it or not you are in spiritual warfare.  You have a few options.  First, you can try to run away, but turning your back on the enemy only makes you vulnerable   Second, you can pretend it is not happening or ignore what is happening.  This will not change things for the better and eventually it will affect you.  Third, you can face it your way and burn out quickly.  Fourth, you can face the enemy with God doing it His way.  This is the only way to find victory and see the change that will honor God.

    There is no place for the apathetic or lazy Christian.  If you accept all the perks of being in God's family, then you are called to be in it with everyone else to honor God.  Love is is an action word.  Sometimes you have to fight for love to thrive and grow.  When you fight with God then you will have less battle scars or spiritual or emotional wounds to heal from.  When you fight with God then you will see victory where it was impossible.

    Your weapons are the armor of God.  You trust your commander not to lead you astray. Unlike human battles you will never be a pawn.  Things may happen that are unfair, but you live in an unjust world.  The difference is that God is right there experiencing it with you.  He will not abandon you.  He has given you everything you need to succeed.  You just need to learn how to use the armor of God to be successful and glorify God.

    Being God's weapon is not fighting a common battle.  You are fighting for what is good, just, and will glorify God.  You fight because you love Him which makes you passionate.  You are not called to be passive or a pushover.  You would not stand by and allow someone to hurt someone you love.  The same rule applies, but the battle is faced spiritually.  When you are facing the spiritual warfare you can see God fight for you.

    God will use your strengths and weaknesses, your talents, reasoning, resources, and reputation to fight His battles.  He gives your the Holy Spirit, ability to pray, His Word, faith, humility, truth, and wisdom to fight for Him.  You are valuable to God and have what it takes to fight with Him.  Where the world broke you is where you can be used the best to reveal who God is.  That is your battlefield (aka ministry).  

Exodus 14:13-14, Judges 7:15-16, 9:50-55, 14:5-7, 15:14-17, 2 Chronicles 20:21-24, Psalm 31:9-13, 83:9-18, 149:6-9, Isaiah 9:2-5, 10:24-26, Jeremiah 51:20-23, Matthew 15:13-14, Romans 6:12-14, 2 Corinthians 4:5-7, 10:3-8, Ephesians 6:13-17, & Hebrews 4:12-13

Faith Guide

 

    You are blessed to have the Bible, the Word of God, to guide you throughout your life.  You have at your fingertips the answers to all your crossroads, problems, and mysteries that need to be answered now.  When you pray and get into God's Word, you will find revelations for yourself in truth.  You knock and God will answer.  Jesus left the Holy Spirit to live in all who follow him to be a moral and spiritual guide in life. He will give your strength and comfort to face anything.

    You have the Bible and the Holy Spirit to guide your faith, but God also provides faithful friends.  These are true friends that will tell you the truth even if it hurts your feelings, pride, or find embarrassing.  They do this to support your walk with God and keep your from making a fool of yourself.  It is done in love.  They pray over you, for you, and with you.  They are there when life is hard and they support you when you need support.  Prayer partners and Biblical friends strengthen your walk with God.

    Having confident people in their faith directing you can give you confident.  It is important to know the difference between confidence and arrogance.  They hold you accountable because they depend on you holding them accountable.  They are a part of your life even if you don't get to talk everyday.  When you are ready to give up, they help you keep going.  

    Your true faith guide is the Holy Spirit.  He will place the right people in your life at the right time.  Some will be there for the long run and some for a season.  Some will teach you lessons and others will encourage and be friends.  No matter who He puts in your life the most important relationship is with God.  Allow the Holy Spirit to convict, encourage, and comfort you in every stage of life and it's journey.   He will place people in your life that will go into the battles with you.  

    If you follow the direction of the Holy Spirit you will be set free from fear, anger, hatred, doubt, and other things that push you away from God.  The more you are in God's Word, praying, and embrace healthy friendships the stronger and bolder you will become in your faith.  He will heal soul and emotional wounds if you accept His love.  Knowing that you are loved by God changes things in your favor.  You get to where you can love faithfully.  He gives you confidence while teaching you self-control.

    When you start maturing in your faith you can stop asking God for assurance.  You hear the Holy Spirit and you know that you have to start moving to get the clear picture.  You know that when you start going in the wrong direction that you will be redirected.  You don't need the whole life map.  You start going in trust and know that you will end up where you need to be.  You understand that you are serving God throughout the journey.

Joshua 1:6-9, Judges 7:7-16, Psalm 32:8-9, Proverbs 3:5-6, 27:9, Isaiah 41:8-10, 48:15-19, 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, Ephesians 2:8-10, Philippians 4:10-14, & Hebrews 11

Put Faith in Action

 

    Faith without works is dead because unless you live out your faith it is not real faith.  Demon and Satan believe in God.  They obey God, but they do as ordered out of fear not love.  Faith is action motivated by love that trust God like a child.  It will have you do things even when you don't understand because you know God will not drop you.

    When you do not know who God is or trust Him, then you cannot live out a life of faith.  It starts small.  God calls you to believe in Jesus, then be baptized.  You don't fully understand, but you step out in faith and put it into action by declaration and baptism.  Then you spend time learning and understanding God better as you become a disciple.  You learn your gifts and how to use them for God while changing your lifestyle to be more like Jesus.  As you grow you are called into deep situations where you have to rely on faith.

    When you hesitate you start doubting, you allow fear in, and you stumble.  You have to depend on God to be able to see Him work in and around your life.  It is the step of faith that make your purpose in life clear.  You can't pray for something and then just sit there expecting God to do everything.  You have to do your part.  You grow stronger, bolder, and more outspoken because you have experienced God's love, miracles, and closeness.

    When you live a life of putting your faith into action you are have God's grace and favor.  He knows you will not do it perfectly, but you at least try. You are not a manufactured Christian, but a real person that loves Him and is devoted to do what He calls you to do.  It is experiencing life with God that makes you different from the world.  

    It is your faith that gives you the confidence to ask anything of God.  It is your heart that makes it where God wants to give you the things that ultimately makes your life better and serves a purpose.  He will give you things in abundance, but your treasure is not what the world considers treasure.  

    In life you see a person that grew up knowing they were loved to have more confidence in life over the people who did not have that security.  It is the same for true Christians.  When you know you are loved by God you live differently, more confidently.  Even if you did not have that growing up, you can have that now.  You are loved.  You are not alone.  You can do anything with God's support and guidance.

Genesis 27:28-29, Numbers 11:7-9, Deuteronomy 33:26-29, Galatians 5:5-6, Ephesians 2:8-10, Colossians 3:22-25, Hebrews 11:1-10, James 1:22-25, 2:17-26, & 1 John 3:18-20

Praying for Reassurance

 

    Worry and fear do not add any value to life.  If anything it takes away from your health, time, and joy in life.  It takes work and faith to trust God, but the goal is to trust God in all things and situations.  While you are building your faith it is okay to pray for reassurance.  

    Gideon prayed for reassurance and God gave him what he needed.  Depending on where you are in your journey of faith will depend on how God answers.  There comes a point where you either trust Him or you do not.  If you are learning to trust, then He will be patient.  If He has proven Himself and you know the truth, but you still insist on reassurance He may be silent.  He may be like you know what I told you to do, now go do it.  If the path is unclear always ask for reassurance on which direction to go.

    Before you go to God in prayer for reassurance ask yourself why you need it.  Are you stalling?  Are you avoiding responsibility?  Are you afraid of making the wrong decision?  Are you unclear on if you heard God's voice or your self-talk?  The reason is important for you to understand what you really need because deep down you know God will not lead you astray.  

    God is patient, but there comes a point where you are expected to act in faith.  If you refuse, then you are sinning.  If you want your hand held, then you are pushing the limits.  God is there.  He will not leave you.  He is working all around you and protecting you.  What more do you need?  Gideon requested a lot from God and God always came through.  He will do the same for you.

    When Gideon met the angel that gave him his first instructions, he asked him to wait while he got an offering.  Gideon was always asking, but with a humble heart it is always received well.  Ask all your questions to God and find wisdom, knowledge, and joy.  Gideon matured and started serving God with preparations for war.  However, when it came down to act, he made request out of fear or reluctance.  It could be interpreted as arrogant.  

    When God gives you direction your response needs to be to act in faith.  He understands if you are not there yet, but keep taking steps in faith.  You will find strength, boldness, and ability as you go not before.  The request for reassurance is a sign of weak faith.  You start with faith of a new born baby, but you should be maturing little by little.  Do not stay an immature Christian.  That does not honor God.  

Genesis 24:12-14, Exodus 4:1-17, Judges 6:36-40, Psalm 23, 27:1-6, 34:15-18, Isaiah 41:5-10, Matthew 11:28-30, 16:2-4, Mark 9:23-24, John 14:27-29, 20:28-29, Romans 8:38-39, & Philippians 4:6-7

Finding Favor

 

    Some people are put in this world given favor by God to serve a purpose, some get favor for what they do, and some inherit favor by accepting salvation.  No one earns God's favor.  His favor is a blessing given in grace and goodwill.  God delights in the humble and obedient heart that seeks Him for love, guidance, and wisdom.  It is this heart that will receive His favor.

    Being favored does not change who you are at the core.  If you have fear, doubt, or anxiety then it only becomes more apparent.  It is in God's favor that you can learn to let go and remove from your life, but it does not mean that it will just disappear.  You are human.  You will have human responses to life.  You are not perfect.  Own that, face it, and go to God with all your perceived and true faults.  Let Him tell you what needs to change and change it.

    God will be patient with you if you need patience.  He will ignore request if you are just trying to buy time.  He knows you.  He knows what you need.  He will push when you need a push and He will be gentle when you have hit your point where you just can't go forward without Him.  These are signs that you have God's favor because you belong to Him.  He will give you what you need as you need it to do your assigned job for Him.

    You know you have God's favor as a Christian because it is sealed by the Holy Spirit.  He gives you spiritual gifts as God provides for your physical needs.  The Holy Spirit will help build you up to become someone that God will use.  He will help you let go of your insecurities, move past weaknesses, and stop comparing yourself to others.  Your path with God is designed by God just for you.  You are not in competition with anyone else, but your past self to be better today than yesterday (closer to God today than yesterday).   

    The Holy Spirit will build your confidence in God through God's Word, prayer life, and seeing God work in your life.  In return for being given all that God gives you, you give back.  You give your tithe, time, and abilities.  You prepare for service, present yourself to God, put down anything in between you and God, and pour our what He gives you onto other people.  You become a living sacrifice to be a true ambassador for God in this world.  In time you could be a person that you never thought you could be if you faithfully trust God.

Genesis 6:5-8, Judges 6:17-24, Psalm 5:11-12, 84:10-12, 90:13-17, Proverbs 3:1-4, 8:32-36,12:2, Matthew 6:25-27, Luke 2:52, John 20:28-29, & 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

God's Patience

 

    God is patient with all people.  He gives you the time to make decisions.  He tells you what He expects, but waits on you to decide if you will comply, how you will comply, or if you will comply in obedience.  You know He is patient because He could have destroyed humanity whenever He wanted.  He allows you to live in your sin.  He is longsuffering to show you what love really is and how you can be loved the way you were meant to be loved.

    God is patient because He has held back the judgment that the world is destined to endure.  He is giving everyone a chance to turn away from their sins and follow Jesus.  He is waiting to forgive those whom ask to be forgiven with true repentance in their heart.

    God's patience reveals mercy.  Maybe you have been enduring His correction to get you where you need to be and now He is giving you peace.  Maybe you are coming out of a trial and are finding healing from a long hidden emotional or spiritual wound.  Maybe He is giving you a time of rest after working diligently for Him for a long time.  His mercy for you is personalized according your relationship with Him and needs.  

    Mercy is not getting what you deserve which is different from grace where you do get what you do not deserve.  Once reveals how you fall short of God's standards and the other reveals God's unconditional love.  You see this in your life.  It is revealed in your prayer life and walk with God.  The closer you lean into Him the more clearly you can see it.

    It is ignorant to call God impatient, intolerant, or uncaring.  It is fooling to demand that God meet you at your level and be okay with your lifestyle.  God is not going to change who He is for you.  He is showing you that your life is better if you change to His standard.  He is good because He gives you time and all the chances to live a life of faith following Jesus.  He is patient because He restrains His power.  He does this because He loves you.

    God wants you to understand what patience really is.  Patience is an active use of strength in the spiritual world. It is not just waiting.  It is actively choosing not to act and to restrain what you could do.  It is proof of strength, not weakness.  It is also a gift of the Holy Spirit where some people can have a supernatural ability of patience to face trials and help the church grow and develop.  

    Pray that you are able to see God's patience in your life.  Ask Him to help you be patient when you are spiritually ready to go through trials.  Patience is active which means it has to be worked out.  To workout active spiritual aspects means you have to go through things.  It is important that you do pray to have them and to build them up, but the timing is not always right.  If you are spiritually beat up, then allow God to give you rest and heal you so you can be strong enough to endure.

Exodus 34:5-7, Numbers 14:17-19, Judges 6:17-40, 7:9-11, Psalm 86:14-17, Isaiah 30:18, Romans 2:1-4, 9:20-24, 15:5-6, Galatians 5:22-23, Colossians 1:11-14, 1 Timothy 1:15-17, 2 Peter 3:8-10