Seeking Faith
Faith. What is it really? We toss that word around like it’s only a matter of receiving it and all is just …. better. It’s a word filled with ethereal complication. It’s easy to say but difficult to really understand; much less engage it. We hear that fear and anxiety is the opposite of faith so every time we feel fear and anxiety, we believe we do not have enough faith (like it’s a cup to fill). We admonish ourselves and feel even worse and guilty, only increasing our anxiety. We hear that others have it. Why don’t we? After all, having the proper amount of faith is written all throughout the scriptures. 2 Corinthians 5:7 states, “For we live by faith, not by sight.” And even more concerning, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). That last statement produces both anxiety and hope for me when I really meditate on its meaning. The phrase “impossible to please God” [if I don’t have enough faith] is quite sobering and frightening but the hope comes from “earnestly seeking Him.” And oh, I sure do earnestly seek Him! I might not always feel it, but I so desire to!
Do We Have Enough Faith?
I struggle with this idea of “not having enough faith” because I sometimes feel fear and anxiety. I would venture to say that someone who says they do not is most likely being dishonest with others or themselves. Often, it is the latter. I am always praying to God for more faith and … that is a good thing. But I had a friend say something to me in passing this week that encouraged me greatly. She said, “We all have faith. We have faith each night when we close our eyes that we will wake up again.” I thought about this. She is right. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t plan our next day, week or year. Even those who do not believe in God have faith. We have faith every time we get into our cars or board a plane or allow someone to watch our children. We have faith the sun will rise and set each day even if it is not visible. So, take courage, friends. We do indeed possess faith each and every day. And it is not as elusive as we might imagine after all. We engage in it, trust in it, live our lives.
Faith in What we Know
If we can have faith in our everyday lives with everyday people in our everyday world, how much more can we have faith in God, our Creator? Perhaps that is what He’s trying to tell us in the scriptures. King David describes this so beautifully in Psalm 139:13-14, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” We believe in things we do not see every day. God’s existence is not based on our seeing Him with our eyes. It is knowing He is there that gives us peace and comfort. We know we will have fear and anxiety in this world but our faith depends on the knowledge of God. Having faith does not depend on the absence of fear and anxiety. Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
The next time someone says, “Just have faith” as if it is a switch to turn on, let us remember that we already possess it by trust in what we know – in this world, that we will awaken the next day, that the car or plane will safely transport us, that our kids are safe in another’s care. Therefore, if we know God exists and is our Creator, then we can trust in Him to take care of our fear and anxieties. Prayer – just talking to Him – is our communication. He is the ultimate healer and counselor. He is the author of Life and Faith itself. We rest in the knowledge of that truth. Amen!
Tonya Noren
November 28, 2021