Belief

Most of us have been raised to be mental Christians.  We've started early on in our lives to be "educated" about our faith.  Sunday School.  Sermons.  Vacation Bible School.  In fact, the innocent, childhood beliefs we had have been intellectualized right out of our hearts.

It's sad.  We've replaced the wonderment and awe of a child with facts and figures about the Kingdom.  One time I was at a meeting of Mennonite clergy.  One of the ministers bored us all with Bible trivia.  How many donkeys did King David have?  What Honda did the disciples drive around in?  It was boring and made light of a walk of faith with the Father.  Sad.  Very sad.

So what's wrong with having an intellectual faith in the Father?  For one thing, it turns the Bible into a book of facts and figures and not a living Word.  When we try to dissect the Gospel as just another book we kill the life of it.  The Scriptures are meant to be a living letter from the Father to us, not to be the end of His communication with us, but to train us by experience how to hear the Father speak to us.

We lose the living Spirit of the Bible when we try to limit what God is going to say to us to just the specific examples of how He has spoken in the past.  We are to be having a vibrant, daily conversation with the Father with whom we have a relationship.  Sounds more like the conversations of a child than the words of a theologian.

When we have an intellectual faith it looks just like what we did when I attended seminary.  We, Pat, the kids and I, were dependent on others to send us gifts to meet our daily expenses.  I mustered up my best intellectual faith, posted a note on the refrigerator that "God is our source" ...and worried every time bills were due.  My faith was not in a loving, immovable Father but in the "fact" that He would support us.  My belief was in the words and not in the Word.  My worry demonstrated what was really in my heart about my Father.

True belief is not what we can mentally spout off.  It's what we act on in our daily lives.  Do I believe that God is my source?  If I really know Him in that way then I can live in peace when financial catastrophes loom on the horizon.  I trust that He will show up and walk with me through the difficulty.  I don't rush out and sell everything I have and expect the world to end.  I don't go borrow more money to see me through.  I don't go crying the blues to those around me looking for sympathy...and donations to my plight.

Does the Father want me to lose my house?  Probably not.  But He may want me to downsize...or relocate...or simplify my life?  Maybe.  Why?  Because He loves me and wants the best for me.  And what I think is the best might not be the best.

What we truly believe is demonstrated in our actions...not our words.  I have a peace in my heart about what the Father believes about me.  I trust Him.  I know His heart toward me is good.  I know He wants the best for my life.  And I can wait until He unfolds that will in my life, living each day in peace and tranquility.

Am I the model of faith?  No, to the contrary.  I face battles of my belief.  I am attacked by an enemy who wants to remind me of how I used to think and believe before I saw the Father show up in His loving glory.  I have to allow my Spirit to speak to my heart and not my head.  I must allow my actions to be based on my experience with the Father.  I learn more about His trustworthiness as I trust Him on a daily basis.  I don't need to go around spouting off what I know about the Father.  I just live it and let my actions speak for my belief.

Ah, yes.  I am ready, as Paul said, to give a report about why I believe what I do.  I can quickly tell you how good my Father has been to me.  I see Him daily showing me how He loves me.

I pray for you today that you will know the depth and width and height of the love of God for you...in your heart and not in your head.  Watch for it!