Skip to main content

real faith // Thursday E-Devotion

Hebrews 11:6 (nlt) --- And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

Fear and faith seem to be at the opposite ends of the Christian’s life, yet we can find them tied together and even fighting. Fear can be seen greater when faith is absent. Faith is real and strong when fear is greatly dealt with God.

1 Timothy 1:7 (nlt) --- For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

As I continue to read Mark Batterson’s new book and grasp the challenges he talks about I challenged to see faith in some different lights. I am often challenged by worry or distrust or other self induced characteristics when all along God desires to fill the places where fear lives with living faith.

We will never have a total absence of fear, but we must move in that direction. For faith to be real and strong, fear has to be removed, and that is something that faith does very well.

“Unlearning requires more thank rewiring our brains. We have to use our new knowledge to face our fears – and conquer them…Faith is the process of unlearning your irrational fears. The only God ordained fear is the fear of God. And if we fear God, then we don’t have to fear anyone or anything else. Unlearning our fears is really a process of learning to trust God more and more.” (Mark Batterson, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, pages 47-9)

Unlearning fear is possible but only happens when we press ourselves toward faith. What is it to fear the Lord?

Proverbs 9:10 (nlt) --- Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.

Faith pushes out fear. But fear literally has to be unlearned or reprogram our thoughts and lives. God allows this and helps us with this in big ways, if we let Him.

1 John 4:18 (nlt) --- Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear…

Lets let fear leave and real faith takes its place. How is that? Be careful: sometimes our fears have to become a reality so that our faith can become real. Real faith kicks out real fear! That is our God.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Have you heard of EDITH BURNS?

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas . She was the patient of a doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith Burns.  One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns.  When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her.  Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my name is Edith Burns.  Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved.  Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying,"My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?"  Beverly said, "Why yes I do."  Edith said, "Well, what do you ...

wash feet, sharing hope

  John 13:4-5,14 NLT  So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him… 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. Jesus set the example we follow.  He served.  He valued and gave value to others.  That is why we choose to serve. For 18 years our church has shared an outreach called back2school, and for 16 of those years we have chosen to give students brand new shoes and socks as well as washing their feet.  It is one of the most important parts of this event. Washing feet is a humbling experience where both the give and the receiver learn how to share some moments that might change their lives.  Jesus said we should do this.  See the verse above.  Follow His example, do what He did, and give far more than you will ever know....

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!