Faithfulness

"if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself."

2 Timothy 2:13

"But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one."

2 Thessalonians 3:3

Wrestling with Faith

I don't know about you, but there have been many times in my life so far, where I really wrestled with the idea of faith. 

Faith is defined as "complete trust or confidence in someone or something" and "strong belief in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual conviction rather than proof". 

It was never the former that I struggled with, but rather the latter. For many years, I saw Christianity as a hollow shell. It was empty and meaningless. It was just another religion without any solid foundation. 

I lived a life a contradiction, because in order for me to have faith - I told myself - I needed to have real proof of the thing I believed in. 

My personal path back to Jesus involved reading and listening to well-known Christian apologetics (primarily 'Mere Christianity' by C.S. Lewis). Lee Strobel's book "The Case For Faith" was also incredibly integral, because it answered some of the most pressing questions I had. In this book, "former atheist Lee Strobel turns his investigative skills to the most persistent emotional objections to belief in God - the eight "heart barriers" to faith": 

1. Since evil and suffering exist, a loving God cannot
2. Since miracles contradict science, they cannot be true
3. Evolution explains life, so God isn't needed
4. God isn't worthy of worship if he kills innocent children
5. It's offensive to claim Jesus is the only way to God
6. A loving God would never torture people in Hell
7. Church history is littered with oppression and violence
8. I still have doubts, so I can't be a Christian

The reason I'm listing these is because you might be someone who is also wrestling with the idea of the Christian faith. 

A good friend of mine, who used to identify himself as an atheist, recently shared his incredible testimony with me. It was actually the renowned advocate for atheism, Richard Dawkins, who led him to Jesus. My friend's search for the Truth is echoed in Bart Ehrman's quote:

"The search for truth takes you where the evidence leads you, even if, at first, you don't want to go there." 

In the past few years, I've heard many testimonies and every time, I'm amazed to hear about the unique ways in which Jesus draws us back to Himself and offers us personal revelation.

A faith that hasn't gone through the grinder, so to speak, or hasn't been tested, cannot be regarded as very strong. Since returning into the arms of Father God, I've learned that God can handle my wrestling and my doubts. After all, it was Jacob who wrestled with God (some translations say it was the angel of the Lord - Genesis 32) and was then renamed 'Israel', meaning 'one who contends/wrestles with God'. 

The fact that God's chosen people were the offspring of the man who wrestled with God is absolutely profound. Let me elaborate...

His Faithfulness, Not Mine 

Our faith is not about us. It's about the one who created faith in the first place. God was faithful before us, and is faithful when we aren't. 

Our faith grows, because we experience God's faithfulness towards us, and not necessarily the other way around. 

I mentioned two 'worldly' definitions of faith above, but here is one that is founded on Biblical principles:

"Faith is confidence in what we hope for and the assurance that the Lord is working, even though we cannot see it. Faith knows that no matter what the situation, in our lives or someone else's that the Lord is working in it." (quote from Wikibooks)

In 2009, I first came across Angus Buchan and his awesome testimony recorded in "Faith Like Potatoes". If you haven't read this work, I urge you to do so! (or watch the movie) I remember how the account of Angus moved me so much, that I was embarrassed by the lack of faith that I had placed in God. 

To cut it short, Angus planted a huge crop of potatoes in a time of when scientists advised not to do so, due to an unprecedented drought that would cover the region. Much like Noah, who most people may have considered 'crazy' for building an ark, Angus was definitely declared insane for spending his livelihood on this fool's errand. However, after much prayer, God miraculously came through and provided the greatest potatoes the area had seen in decades. 

You think that's the best part? 

Angus Buchan was actually a maize and cattle farmer. But he listened and obeyed God's word. Which leads me to yet another definition for faith:

"It is the act whereby a person lays hold of God's resources, becomes obedient to what He has prescribed and putting aside all self interest and self-reliance, trusts Him completely. It is an unqualified surrender of the whole of one's being in dependence upon Him. It is wholly trusting and relying upon Him for all things. It is not just mental assent to the facts and realities of truth, it must come from a deep inner conviction." (quote from Wikibooks)

My hope is that God will help me to one day have this much faith. After all, it is God's faith that I want. 

In a recent sermon, our pastor said it like this:

"If you have man-made faith like a mountain, you won't move a mustard seed. But if you have faith from God as big as a mustard seed, you will move mountains." (Rob Forbes)

Ultimately, this is a lesson we have to learn. God has decided to partner with us to build His kingdom. Faith helps me to fully trust His plans and His ability to fill me with faithfulness, in order for me to recognise the ways in which God is and has been faithful towards me.  

Our God, the Promise Keeper

There have been two songs, in particular, that I've enjoyed listening to in the past months. They're called "Promises" and "Man Of Your Word", both by Maverick City Music. The lyrics are powerful and have made a huge impact on me and my understanding of who God is. (Do listen to the songs!)

The first verse of "Promises" goes like this:

God of Abraham, God of covenant and of faithful promises 

Time and time again You have proven You’ll do just what you said

The chorus emphasises 'Great is your faithfulness to me'. 

In "Man Of Your Word", they sing:

If You said it we believe it 

You’re a man of Your word

Growing up, we all have to come to terms that our parents will let us down at some point. Not because they don't love us, but because they're just as imperfect as us. People shape us more than we might care to believe. Disappointments can cause us to be dragged through the valley of the shadow of death, without seeing that Jesus is there with us. 

Maybe you have been hurt so badly, that you can never fully trust anyone, let alone Jesus, ever again. That's totally acceptable. There's only one problem: God never gives up on us. And He desires your heart. 

One major takeaway from reading the Old Testament is that God is the only true promise-keeper. 

The Bible is a record of how God has always remained faithful and kept His promises to those who call upon His name. 

Jesus is a man of his word. We just have to be willing to listen to and read His word(s). In fact, in a little philosophical shuffle, Jesus himself is THE WORD (John 1:1). God cannot help but be anything other than what He himself inherently is - qualities such as GOOD, HOLY, PATIENT, LOVING and so on.

Nine-A-Day

So you see, when you embark on a journey to search for Truth and the meaning of life, you must inevitably choose which path will lead to LIFE. Not just any life, but one that is full and FRUIT-full.

I like to think that the Tree of Life, from which God eventually forbade Adam to eat (Genesis 3:22), carried the Fruit of the Spirit. Having walked with God in Eden, there may have not been any need for us to invite qualities such love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When you're in the presence of God, His qualities reign supreme.

But through a long-winded journey of disobedience and arrogance, we arrived at the point where God had to introduce His master plan: Jesus, the Christ. Through Him, God reached His hand back down to us. Each one of us is free to choose whether or not to grab hold of that hand of grace. 

God is still on the move, and the Holy Spirit He sent enables us to do His work and be filled with His fruit. May you continue to experience the beauty and awesomeness of that fruit in your life. Those 'nine-a-day' are more important than your 'five-a-day' and their outworking will hopefully change other people's lives, or open their eyes to see God's faithfulness in your life.   

God bless you!