It’s not uncommon for people to say that they believe in God, even those who don’t attend church regularly. For some it’s a comfort, knowing (or hoping) that there is a higher power, hoping there is something out there that makes sense of this weird world we live in, this endless cycle of eat, sleep, work, repeat.
It’s got me thinking about the difference between belief and faith. Belief is the acceptance that something exists or is true. A simple example is looking at a chair and believing that it will hold me.
Faith, on the other hand, is complete trust or confidence in someone or something. It is often based on previous experiences or the wisdom of others. If we return to our chair analogy, faith is the part where we actually try to sit on it.
Belief is the thought that the chair will hold me. Faith is acting on that belief.
Belief is the conviction. Faith is the active expression of that conviction.
You see, anyone can believe in God. In fact Satan believes in God. He knows He is real, yet He doesn’t put His faith in Him. He chooses to reject Him and His authority.
In order to have a personal faith, it must move beyond belief. It must be something that is actively lived out. Ephesians 6:10-20 is a well known passage about The Armour of God. “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” v16. As Christians, we are called to stand firm, to trust in our Heavenly Father and to be obedient when we feel His Spirit moving us.
We know that God is faithful and because of that, we can be faith-filled in our responses. We can have an active faith, as an expression of appreciation and in the assurance that God first was faithful.
Often, as Christians, we talk more about having faith, than actually having faith. Priscilla Shirer has a Bible study series called The Armour of God, and she states that there are close to 9,000 promises that God has put in the Bible. But He has put them in our reach, not in our hands. I love that idea, that God is with us, to guide us and lead us, but we need to have an active faith, one that is the lived expression of our belief, and a response to God’s leading.
Think about it. He will often lead you to something, or bring something into your life, but in order for it to happen, you need to step out in faith and show that you trust that God has a plan and that He is faithful. It might be a new job, or a new relationship, or a difficult conversation you need to have with someone, but as it is often said, “If He leads you to it, He’ll lead you through it.” We need to trust Him and take that leap of faith, because there are so many blessings on the right side of obedience.
So often we focus on the tangible. What we can see, feel, hear or what we’re experiencing. Our feelings, in particular, are never trustworthy. They can be sinful, they are selfish and they are volatile. Yet we find it so much easier to trust them, rather than trusting God with what we can’t see. However, it is in that gap of our knowledge, that gap of our experience, that gap of our understanding, that true faith in action comes alive and we are able to see God at work the most. So let’s fill that gap with faith instead of fear.
Having faith is a daily choice, and it can be a difficult choice, one that goes against most of what our world tells us is the right way to live. But, OH MAN is there a deep sense of joy and peace when we align ourselves with the will of our Father.
If you’ve read this far and you’re wanting more ideas on how to do this practically, try praying, reading your Bible and listening to The Take Heart Podcast. My friend, Emma and I long to encourage you in your journey of faith, as we seek to know God better, together.
I’m praying for you this week, my friend.
BB
