Thought for Thursday, June 28th

June 28, 2012

Do You Have Enough Faith

In Christendom ‘Faith’ is like unto a buzz word that is hyper critical to the very essence of what makes the whole process of being a Christian work.

Yet I sometimes wonder do we really understand the reality of what faith really is, or is it one of those concepts we have somewhat of a miniscule comprehension of; knowing we posses it to some degree; but we really don’t know how it works and what we are suppose to do with it?

Scripture tells us that if we have faith the size of a grain of mustard seed we can speak to a mountain and that mountain can be cast into the sea.  Yet I don’t see to many people moving mountains, do you?

Scripture also tells us that if when we pray, we believe, we can have whatever we pray for.  Yet I don’t see any of us emptying out hospital wards or solving issues like world hunger and homelessness.

I believe God has made available to us opportunities and possibilities that we can not comprehend, nor fathom the height nor depth of because we don’t exercise the capacity for faith that is available to us.

It is like the human brain.  Most people don’t even use a small portion of the brain capacity that they posses.  I think the same is true for Christians.  We often fail to reach our optimum potential because we fail to embrace faith to the fullness of what it could be and how it could operate in our lives.

Of course we each have a measure of faith: for without it we could not receive God’s gift of salvation; we could not please God and we could not grow in His grace and love.

Yet, I still can’t help but wonder if I truly could allow myself to be totally empowered to the fullest capacity of my faith potential, how different would my life be?

“If you are possessed by an idea, you find it expressed everywhere, you even smell it.”

-       Thomas Mann

  Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present.  For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.  For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ; Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men's labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly, To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand.  But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

2 Corinthians 10:11-17

I can only imagine how wonderful; how liberating and how miraculous life would be if I could walk in perfect faith, unhindered by any doubt or unmarred by any worldly or flesh-like concerns.

I know I have not yet arrived at that state; but it most certainly gives me something to strive towards; how about you?

Today’s Prayer

Father, your perfectness is sometimes beyond my comprehension: your existence in time and space defies my sense of reason or logic: yet I know by faith that you always have, been, always will be and have never made an error or mistake.  Yet even the degree of faith it takes to embrace these truths pales in the scope and magnitude of what is possible by faith if I were but able to surrender myself to such an extent of total and complete belief.  Help me get closer to the goal and let me grow by leaps and bounds in my ability not to just have faith but to live in faith.

“My life is in You Lord
My strength is in You Lord
My hope is in You Lord
In You, it’s in You

I’ll praise You with all of my life
I’ll praise You with all of my strength
With all of my life, with all of my strength
All my hope is in You “

-  Lyrics from ‘My Life Is In You Lord’ by Daniel Gardner