Making life better with Faith in God
When you are considering your faith in God, not only is it important for you to understand faith as it relates to God, but also how faith in God can improve or revolutionize your life as a believer.
And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. ~ Matthew 21:21
Faith and the Trip Switch
Let’s start with a simple parable. It’s a humorous story about a motorist who pulled into a service station to have his vehicle refueled. The refueling went off without incident and the driver pulled away from the pump. However while pulling away, he accidentally drove into a very large pothole some 20 feet away. As a result, the back end of the vehicle slammed down hard against the pavement. To the dismay of the driver, the vehicle came to a complete stop. Any endeavors to restart the engine failed in it’s efforts to coax the motor back to life.
And to make matters worse, of course this took place on a Saturday when no mechanic was on duty. Unfortunately, the motorist was stuck and had to leave the vehicle there until Monday, when they would finally be able to talk with the mechanic.
Enter the mechanic
Long story short, on the following Monday, the mechanic asked the driver what had happened. So the driver related the story about the refueling, then driving away from the pump, followed by hitting of the pothole and then the hard slam of the back end of the vehicle on the pavement. With that information, the mechanic quickly went to work. First he consulted the repair manual for this 1980’s vehicle. After a few moments, a smile began to emerge on the mechanic’s face and he returned to the vehicle. Next he lifted the hatchback and began fumbling around in the trunk area.
So what’s the problem?
After a brief moment or two, the mechanic asked the driver to try to start the engine. So the driver inserted the key into the ignition, turned the key and soon after the engine roared back to life.
Astonished, the driver was incredibly happy and asked the mechanic what had happened? To which the mechanic replied that this vehicle was equipped with a specially designed “trip” switch. When the vehicle experiences a significant bump, the switch is then activated and stops the flow of fuel from the fuel pump.
Faith is like a trip switch
So for us, faith in a believer’s life is like that “trip” switch in this vehicle. As the need for fuel is critical for an automobile, so is the importance of faith to fully engage the life of the believer towards God.
Therefore, faith in God can make your life better through a number of powerful attributes that faith brings.
To begin with…
Faith and the Trip Switch
Let’s start with a simple parable. It’s a humorous story about a motorist who pulled into a service station to have his vehicle refueled. The refueling went off without incident and the driver pulled away from the pump. However while pulling away, he accidentally drove into a very large pothole some 20 feet away. As a result, the back end of the vehicle slammed down hard against the pavement. To the dismay of the driver, the vehicle came to a complete stop. Any endeavors to restart the engine failed in it’s efforts to coax the motor back to life.
And to make matters worse, of course this took place on a Saturday when no mechanic was on duty. Unfortunately, the motorist was stuck and had to leave the vehicle there until Monday, when they would finally be able to talk with the mechanic.
Enter the mechanic
Long story short, on the following Monday, the mechanic asked the driver what had happened. So the driver related the story about the refueling, then driving away from the pump, followed by hitting of the pothole and then the hard slam of the back end of the vehicle on the pavement. With that information, the mechanic quickly went to work. First he consulted the repair manual for this 1980’s vehicle. After a few moments, a smile began to emerge on the mechanic’s face and he returned to the vehicle. Next he lifted the hatchback and began fumbling around in the trunk area.
So what’s the problem?
After a brief moment or two, the mechanic asked the driver to try to start the engine. So the driver inserted the key into the ignition, turned the key and soon after the engine roared back to life.
Astonished, the driver was incredibly happy and asked the mechanic what had happened? To which the mechanic replied that this vehicle was equipped with a specially designed “trip” switch. When the vehicle experiences a significant bump, the switch is then activated and stops the flow of fuel from the fuel pump.
Faith is like a trip switch
So for us, faith in a believer’s life is like that “trip” switch in this vehicle. As the need for fuel is critical for an automobile, so is the importance of faith to fully engage the life of the believer towards God.
Therefore, faith in God can make your life better through a number of powerful attributes that faith brings.
To begin with…
Faith in God Enhances our Relationship
Through your faith in God you will begin to know God’s heart. His great commandment is to love the Lord thy God with all of thy heart. This is the ultimate purpose of our being as humans. James invites you to,
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ~ James 4:8
Additionally, through your faith in God and the study of His Word, you will also begin to know the mind of God. Therefore, in Romans you are encouraged,
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. ~ Romans 12:2
By having faith in God and being in communion with Him, you will have a renewed mind enabling you to learn the will of God. As a result, when you are following the will of God, your life becomes better because you are now following His plans.
Another benefit, having faith in God makes your life better because faith transforms or transfigures us. C.S. Lewis is quoted as saying,
I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God. It changes me. ~ C.S. Lewis·
Prayer by faith in God will begin transforming your life. Remember, the closer and longer you are near the fire, the more you will feel the effects of the fire on you.
Futhermore, faith in God transcends – your faith will elevate you beyond the reality and confines of this world and lift you up to see everything from God’s perspective.
Faith in God is Transcendent
As you are already aware, the world you and I live in is a negative, selfish and self-serving place. Consequently it often seems like God is barely even an after-thought. Even still, the mantra of this corrupt and fallen world seems to be nothing more than eat, drink and be merry.
However, Jesus emphatically states in I John,
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ~ I John 2:15
You faith in God should always embraces Him. Consequently, your back is turned on the world. Therefore, you should no be looking back but focused on the Lord.
Furthermore, in Luke, Jesus states,
But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” ~ Luke 9:62
Additionally, you need to rise above it all. Indeed you and I are crucified with Christ and therefore are dead to the circumstances of this world and world itself. John declares,
If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you ~ John 15:19
You will no longer be a citizen of this world. In other words, through your faith in God, you will be elevated above what you see around us and you securely lock your heart towards the matters of heaven.
The reality of the spiritual realm seen by faith in God is best described in II Kings when Elisha prayed,
Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. ~ II Kings 6:17
Furthermore, through your faith in God, your will experience a better life because we, as followers of Christ, become conquerors. In 1 John we declare with the beloved disciple,
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. ~ 1 John 5:4
Through your faith, you will share in the victory of Christ over this corrupted world, our sins and the evil one.
Finally, by having faith in God, you will revolutionize your life by receiving Life of Christ through His Spirit.
Faith in God is Transformational
Your first miracle of transformation will occur in your heart. Here you see the psalmist cried out,
Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. ~ Psalm 51:10
Additionally, in Jeremiah you will see the promise of God is,
I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart. ~ Jeremiah 24:7
By having faith in God, you will have your heart of stone transformed into a new heart. Your transplant by God will be transformational.
In addition to having a new heart, through your faith in God, you will experience the transformation of your mind as well. In Colossians, you should be inspired to hear,
and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him ~ Colossians 3:10
In I Corinthians 2:16 you hear that we have the mind of Christ. By faith in God, you and I believe this and find that our thoughts become His thoughts. You will understand His will and we are bathed in life and peace (Romans 8:6).
Consequently, because you have faith in God, you will have different actions and behaviors. We will now act and react in a transformational and heavenly manner. Isaiah declares,
Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. ~ Isaiah 40:31
And in II Corinthians we embrace by faith the reality of
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. ~ II Corinthians 5:17
You will be empowered, through your Faith in God, to behave differently in this world.
Where is your trip switch?
Similar to our motorist in the opening narrative, your live can seem on track and has everything ready to go. And like the vehicle in the story, you will appear to be fully operational with a full gas tank all the latest automotive technology, etc.
As a Christian, you really need to ask yourself, is your toggle switch, of faith in God, in the engaged position or have you hit a pot hole or speed bump that has caused your toggle switch to be disengaged?
Engage your faith
If your toggle switch, our faith in God, is not engaged, you are probably stranded and lost, kinda like that 4,000 pound vehicle. Everything in your life may look good, have all the bells and whistles, but you may be living aimlessly with no direction. That is not the purpose for your life. You need to figure out how to safely travel from point A to point B and figure out where point be even is for you.
Maybe, like the mechanic, you just need to refer to your owner’s manual, The Word of God, and with God’s guidance you will release your full potential in the world. Our Christian lives in this world attesting to the reality of God and his wonder working power in this world.
Live your purpose
As a Christian, you are intended for a variety of purposes in God’s plan. You are intended to have a deep and personal relationship with God. Additionally, you are meant to be a loving force in this world towards others, be the salt and light in this world against the darkness. Finally, God intends for you to live a better …a life of quality, empowerment and transformation.
You should now know that true Faith in God will make your life better. Like with the car, your faith is the toggle switch that allows the fuel or life of God to race in and through your very being.
Now go learn about Whole Armor Of God, Understanding All Six Pieces
