I have two thoughts.
First, Faith is more than believing, it is trusting.
Read that again.
Faith is more than believing, it is trusting.
Now, for all you English majors out there, you are so good at definitions and connotations and contemplation. For us Chemical Engineers, it takes quite awhile for verbal nuances to sink in to our brains. We are into logic and flow charts and material balances where the answers are black and white. But this phrase really hit me this week.
I was listening to a sermon on Faith by on my IPAD, and I am not sure if this was his main point, but it is what I took away from the sermon. We all think that faith is believing. But it is more, it is trusting. With every ounce of your being, your life, your things, your relationships. It is black and white.
Okay, if faith is believing, then how do you know you believe? How do I know I am healed? How do I know that God will never leave my side? I know faith is not a feeling, it is a decision. So how many times in my life do I believe God on some issue, but still go ahead and do it my way just in case.
Well, now let's think about this. If I truly had faith, I would trust God. And in comes the peace. The peace that defies understanding. Do not be anxious for anything, but present it to God and He will give you peace that passes understanding. Not because that peace is a magical wand thing, but because when you present your trouble to God, and you trust He is in charge, you just don't worry. There is no room for worry. That's where the peace comes from.
So many days I ask God for this, for that, lift this up to Him, and figure, okay now I've prayed, I can go on with my day. He's got it under control. I think He wants more from me. I think He wants me to cooperate with Him on some of the issues. Trust Him, so I know He is in control, and trust Him enough so I will listen to Him and get on board.
To be specific, I have asked God to heal me from breast cancer. I have believed He will. If you have read prior blogs, I told you I believe I will be healed and fine ninety five percent of the time. I have asked Him to show me signs of my healing, and that I will have faith that He will reveal all the healing at some point. I have seen scars from surgery heal, I have seen nausea pass, intestinal upset heal, hair fall out, hot flashes, achy bones. These are all great signs.
So how do I know I trust God is working out my healing? Because I have that peace. I know without a shred of doubt, not five percent or even one percent, that He is totally in control of my healing, and He is pulling out all the stops and there is nothing that will prevent my body from healing.
THERE'S THE SIGN, the billboard I have been waiting for. (I need billboards sometimes.) THANK YOU. I have a husband who is up to his eyeballs in crises, truly, yet I know I am his first priority. I have a friend who has put her life aside, and has been staying here at the house for this whole cycle. How awesome is that? All week I have been smiling, surrounded by loving people and soothing music and random kindnesses and prayers. Prayers that float up and are heard.
So there is my thought number one - Faith isn't just believing, it is trusting with all your heart and body and spirit and every minute of the day that what God tells you He will do, He will do. And He will give you peace every minute of the day so you don't worry about it.
What is trust? When you have your first baby, you want to go out to dinner just the two adults, and whoever you have chosen to babysit for that 2 hour time span shows up. You hand your baby into their arms. That is trust.
Thought number two - God heals, we need to cooperate. We do need to cooperate with Him, not just give Him the laundry list and say, Thanks God, and tootle off. Right now, I need to be gentle with my body while He's working out the healing. Yes He could do all this without me, but isn't part of the point that I WANT to be close to Him, so how do you get close to someone?
Work with them, walk with them, listen to them, talk to them, be with them.
It takes time. Quantity time as well as quality time.
