Faith?

Faith is one of those Christian things that we hear a lot about.
If I asked you for a definition of faith a lot of you would quote Hebrews chapter eleven...

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
 

Many a preacher who is far more capable than me has preached on that verse so I won't.
However I thought maybe to share a few thoughts on faith.

Listen to this verse...Jesus is speaking.

"Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him." Mark 11: 23

Pretty powerful stuff hey?

So rather than define faith what does faith actually look like in action?

The first thing that has to be nailed is that faith has nothing to do with feelings. If Peter had relied on his feelings there is no way he would have stepped out of the boat. Peter of all people would have known that that water stuff does not carry your weight sufficiently for you to walk on it. He was a fisherman, he would have fallen out of his boat many times and every time he did I can categorically tell you that he sank. So he knew that walking on water was a no no. If he had relied on his feelings he would have stayed where he was.
If we are going to do something that we have never done before, is logically impossible to do we must begin by acting as if it can be done. That means putting aside our feelings. They are unreliable when it comes to faith.
When God calls us to obey Him in something that is 'impossible' our feelings immediately hold a meeting and quickly pass a motion that the thing is impossible, it can't be done, its never worked before, it won't work this time, don't be so stupid, and demands that we immediately abandon any thought of obediently following God.

Faith, on the other hand, disregards the protest of our feelings and acts as if what God says is true. So therein lies faith...acting as if what God says is true. Faith is responding in trust to the revelation that God has given us of Himself.

God told Moses that if he waved his rod over the Red Sea the sea would part and make a way. Moses' feelings would  easily have told him 'you must be joking' but Moses acted as if what God said was true and the rest is history.
When our feelings kick up we must ask ourselves this question, "What if it is really true? What if I lay hands on this person and they actually get healed? What if it is true?" and then proceed on that basis. Our feeling will say forget it but faith leads us on.
Do you have an impossible thing before you? Why not mix it with faith rather than feelings and proceed on a 'acting as if' basis.

Now I make no claim to be a great bastion of faith but one thing I am increasingly aware of is the truth of the abundant grace of God in His favour toward me. I am favoured. Recently when preparing to come to Cambodia again I was faced with a budget that to my feelings was insurmountable. My feelings were screaming at me to forget it and give up. Part of the plan for the mission was to minister to the children with craft, and exercise books and pencils, and soccer balls and all manner of other stuff that could not be carried as luggage on the plane. It needed to be sent prior to our departure. We did not have the money to support the mission, we did not even have airline tickets but we 'acted as if' we did and sent two boxes of stuff anyway.

If we put aside the protest of our feelings when God calls us with a divine appointment and 'act as if' what God is calling us to do He is able to complete in us and through us then I feel that our lives, and ministries, will be transformed.

Just a thought.