Websters dictionary defines faith as: firm belief in something for which there is no proof.
Wikipedia’s version is: Faith is variously defined as belief, confidence or trust in a person, object, religion, idea or view.
The Bible tells us in Hebrews: Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Regardless of the orgin, the religion, or the person; we all have some kind of faith basis. We have faith in people, situations, and ideas. We believe if we have enough FAITH the outcome will be in our favor.
Gods word tells us if we have faith the size of a mustard seed we can say move to a mountain and it will move. Time and time again in scripture we read about faith that moves mountains. In Hebrews 11 alone there are 39 verses of examples about people in the bible who had mustardseed like faith and were used in a mighty way in Gods kingdom.
Through this journey my faith has surely been tested. I lie in bed sometimes and wonder why? How? God this seems impossible. I am reminded that with man nothing is possible but with God ANYTHING is possible. God has miraculously shown himself in my life in the past 7 months. The possibilities are endless when God is in your corner. Stepping out in faith brings a lot of uncertainties, questions, tears, worry, and sometimes pain. However God would not ask us to do anything if it weren’t for our Good. All things are done for our good and His Glory.
I remember when I got the call that I was going on the race. My heart sank to my foot, it was beating out of my chest. Is this Real Life? Somebody pinch me I thought. I sat in my back yard with the gentleman from AIM as he encouraged me, gave me advice, and answered the 105 questions that came racing to my mind. This was by far the biggest decision I have made in my life. Not to mention the hardest. I was sweating profusely, my heart was racing, and tears would not stop falling from my eyes. I felt like I was signing my life away. The truth is when you choose to follow Christ you accept, your life is not your own. You give your life to him. You were meant to serve him. To follow him. To live for him. If that meant going to the ends of the earth, that is what I had to do. I clenched my fist and fell to my knees. Asking God if this was really what he wanted from me. I felt God saying to me you are of little faith. I had a quick glimpse of what Jesus must of felt in the garden, knowing he was about to face the wrath of God, and carry the sins of the world, he was so scared he sweat blood. He pleaded with God “Take this cup from me”. None the less, not my will but yours be done.
God will sometimes call us to unfamiliar places, and he ask us to do uncomfortable things. Our response should be that of Jesus’s: Not my will but yours be done. Letting go of what you know for the unknown, is not easy, but with Christ as your guide it is more than worth it. If you just step out on faith. Leaving for the race I quickly recognized I would have to give up some things. Being a Christ follower requires sacrifice. I mean look at Jesus, he was the ultimate sacrifice. He lost everything. But because of this, we gained the opportunity to have eternal life. Yes he will ask you to give up things you love, but he will replace those things with far better than you could ever imagine.
Selling my possessions has been hard, hard but humbling. Selling my car will be hard, and quitting my job was excruciatingly painful. But having lost these things I realize the prize in the end will be much more gratifying.Philippians 3:7-14 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith inChrist—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
The biggest part of this faith journey is trusting God that all my needs will be met. Financially I am expected to raise $16,000 for this trip. By the grace of God in just 4 months I have generously received $13,000 in donations. I have been told “Gods will, Gods bill. “If he calls you to it, he’ll lead you through it.” The truth is I prayed for this opportunity, for him to open a door. My job was just to walk through it. Stepping out on the promises of God, and believing he would provide. We serve a god who able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. In asking for said things I had to know it was his will. Scripture says: Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.If our desires are in alliance with his will, he will gladly give them to us. We have to remember God is not a magic Genie but he loves to give his children gifts and the desires of their hearts.
Through this process God has changed my desires, made me do uncomfortable things, tested my faith, and he is continually growing my Faith to believe his word. Trusting he is who he says he is and he can and will do what he says. Not only has this experience grown my personal faith but the faith of those around me, my friends and family. They have been able to see the miraculous works of God through me. Their lives have been touched, and some their desires too have changed.
When God asks things of you, he knows sometimes it will be painful. But he will ask anyway. He wants to grow in a deeper more personal relationship with you. But he needs to grow your faith in order for you to trust him. My question to you is how do you expect your faith to grow if you first don’t test your faith???
