Faith is a concept constantly thrown around in our culture (and in cultures all around the world), but do we as Christians truly understand it? We’ve heard our Pastors preach on it, youth group teach it, family and friends talk about it, but do we fully understand it and live it out?
What is Faith?
-Confidence or trust in a person/thing
-Belief not based on proof
In our day-to-day lives we are subconsciously practicing faith more often than we realize. Waking up in the morning and trusting the sun will rise, leaving your home and switching the alarm on, walking out to your car to drive to work and trusting the engine to start, knowing your closest friends are there for you.
We put our trust in earthly things, so why is it that when it comes to putting complete faith in the Lord we often times fall short?
Jesus tells us to have faith.
Throughout scripture we are told to have faith and shown story upon story of faith. (Hebrews 11: 1-40)
And Jesus answered them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
Matthew 21: 21-22
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
James 1:5-6
When I finally decided I was 100% doing the World Race, I never doubted the Lord’s provision. I honestly believe if the Lord is calling you to something, and you are obedient in this, He will provide. I set a personal goal to be fully funded before launch.
Rewind to August, it’s launch weekend in Atlanta, GA, our entire squad has been through two days of sessions, teachings, prayer, worship nights, and preparation. It’s the night before we take off to Panama, I had just gotten off the phone with a friend from home and was distraught from the extremely difficult conversation. During the phone call, my Mom had texted me letting me know that I had received a donation and I would be launching fully funded!
Even in the midst of my distraction from the Lord, He is faithful. He provides. He pursues me.
Over New Years our Squad all met up in Lilongwe, Malawi and had a couple days of sessions, recharge, saying goodbye to Katie & Rachael, and brought in the New Year together. We danced, sang karaoke, talked about our fave memories from the first 5 months on the field, and drank sparkling grape juice. Entering 2019 with these people was something special. During this time, my friend and rockstar of a human, Alyx, taught on the power of prayer. A couple days prior I had been journaling about faithfulness, and digging into what scripture says about it, and then BAM Alyx drops all of the wisdom on what the Lord has been teaching her. I learned a ton from her that day, but what struck me….
Faith is simple. Faith is choice.
Our society is skeptical and broken, and as a result we are typically mistrusting of one another, which then overflows onto the Lord. It’s difficult for us to wrap our small human minds around the idea of a sovereign God trusting us, when we don’t even trust ourselves. But He does. He fully puts faith in His children.
I am the type of person who loves community. I thrive during all squad months when all 30(ish) K-squaders are in the same country, living and doing ministry together. I love building relationships, getting to know what makes someone who they are, and learning from one another. There was a point in my life before the Race that circumstances caused me to move out of downtown Houston and back to the suburbs with my parents, leaving my community that I had known for years. At that time I felt hugely disappointed in myself, that I had failed as an adult, but mostly lonely and longing for community again. Did I have faith that the Lord would provide new community? Not only provide, but go above and beyond any of my expectations? He is faithful. Even when we don’t fully trust or understand Him.
He. Is. Faithful.
Coming on the Race I knew I would be meeting a entirely new group of people and was expectant and excited. There was a part of me that dreaded leaving the new community the Lord had provided at home that gave me so much life. Why would He give me this incredible community, then ask me to leave it all behind (again)? I was walking in doubt, and uncertainty, but knew with my entire heart that Abba always has purpose.
I was hopeful for new friendships and lots of fun memories to be made. What I didn’t expect was a new, life-long friendship. Friendship that sees your darkness, loves you anyway, and points you to light. Friendship that understands your tears without words, that’s full of constant laughter and finding joy in the little things. Friendship that’s rooted in Jesus, tells a parallel redemption story, lives out iron sharpening iron, and celebrates our Father’s never ending faithfulness. A friendship I didn’t know could exist, but He knew, and all I had to do was have faith.
Choose faith.
Receive the gift of grace.
Celebrate our good Father who pursues us.
Trust Him the way He trusts you.
This month we are in Zambia, Africa partnering with an organization called Loves Door. We are teaching, ministerming, and doing life with the staff and the orphaned children who live here. This is the power of the Lord’s faithfulness.
When I was 19 years old my roommates grandmother spoke prophecy over my life. She said that if I lived the calling the Lord had for me I would be working with orphaned children in Africa by the time I was 28. My selfish desires to have complete control delayed the process, but the Lord is faithful and His timing is perfect. I am 30 years old camping in the bush of Africa, singing praises to our Father surrounded by His beautiful children.
“To have Faith in Christ] means, of course, trying to do all that He says. There would be no sense in saying you trusted a person if you would not take his advice. Thus if you have really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow that you are trying to obey Him. But trying in a new way, a less worried way. Not doing these things in order to be saved, but because He has begun to save you already. Not hoping to get to Heaven as a reward for your actions, but inevitably wanting to act in a certain way because a first faint gleam of Heaven is already inside you.” -C.S. Lewis
