Faith

Faith, honestly, is a gift from God. It may not be a popular stance in our society today but boy did God change my life in the middle of my circumstances! No one or nothing else could have done so, my life was under so many aggressive attacks!

I grew up in a Christian family so I’ve heard about Jesus my whole life, but it was when I was about 23-24 years old that this amazing God revealed Himself to me directly. It’s hard to explain or put words on what God does inside a person’s heart but He has worked miracle after miracle in my circumstances and proven Himself over and over again to my heart in so many different ways.

When I was faced with scary situations especially with my health (like when I had to go to the hospitals or get important results etc) Faith in God and God Himself became anchors that help me know and remember that HE controls my life and that HE will help me through whatever I experience.

It doesn’t depend on how brave or strong or focused I am, it depends on HIM who promises to be with me and make a way where I don’t see one. My part is to decide what or whom I’m going to trust and believe most. Faith does not deny reality but it gives reality a bit more hope, a bit more peace, a bit more courage to hold on and a bit more life… it also gives meaning and a direction to everything.

Another aspect of Faith that God gives us when we choose Him is that we can look at our lives through the lens of eternity and through Jesus-Christ. To explain this a bit better, it’s like I know that my eternity is sealed in Jesus and that HE will save me and not I myself. I also know that my life here is just a preparation and a very small portion of what God is preparing for me in eternity. And lastly, Eternity puts reality into the proper perspective, meaning that compared to the amazing healthy body God has for me forever makes this temporary body a bit lighter to bear because it’s only for a short time. And, Eternity with Him is going to be SO AMAZING!!!

Faith in Jesus-Christ is a decision we all have to make on our own. God will never force or shove Himself upon us because that is not what love does. I chose Him and He changed everything.

This doesn’t mean that I don’t have hard moments anymore, or doubts, fears or anger or whatever … but it does mean that I have an unshakable foundation that remains when everything else crashes to the ground. I have a refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble just like psalm 46 vv. 1-4; 10a (TPT) mentions:

1/ God, you’re such a safe and powerful place to find refuge!

You’re a proven help in time of trouble—

more than enough and always available whenever I need you.

2/ So we will never fear

even if every structure of support were to crumble away.

We will not fear even when the earth quakes and shakes,

moving mountains and casting them into the sea.

3/ For the raging roar of stormy winds and crashing waves

cannot erode our faith in you.

4/ God has a constantly flowing river whose sparkling streams

bring joy and delight to his people.

His river flows right through the city of God Most High,

into his holy dwelling places.

[ … ]

10/ Surrender your anxiety.

Be still and realize that I am God.

Hope

My mom read a text about hope that she shared with me and that I like a lot (we don’t remember where we read this or who the author who wrote it is!). The author said that: “Christian Hope is bold! It’s a choice.” This is just as true for faith. The author continued and made a distinction between Hope and optimism saying that: “They both share the desire for something better than what we are currently experiencing” but then asks this question: “but what if optimism distorts the way we hope for better things?”.

It was also written in the text that: “optimism is often impersonal and a stranger to our feelings. It relies on circumstances as a compass”.

Optimism relies solely on our own efforts and strengths whereas Hope is placed in a person, Jesus-Christ and what He says. Optimism is as if we have to deny and put aside the pain we feel and decide to feel better things (as if that was easy to do!) and think better things … Honestly, this practice NEVER helped me in my misery and scary circumstances…

But then, the author continues writing and said that: “Biblical hope on the other hand, is different because it is a chance to rely on a person, Jesus-Christ.”. Hope is aware that it might be tested through trials but it decides to trust the One (Jesus) who promises to be with us and give us victory, no matter what. And finally, a quote that hit me was that: “Hope goes deeper and asks that Jesus would meet us where we’re at, in good or bad times.”.

So, according to what I’ve been writing, Hope is a gift that God has given us in Him. It doesn’t require a strenuous effort on our part it just demands we choose and decide who or what we will believe when we can’t see things yet and go through the motions. I don’t know about you but… I need to be helped in my life, and I will never have enough self-determination to maintain “a positive thinking” at all times… I choose hope and I choose to get closer to Jesus!

This is exactly how I experienced Hope in my life. And it birthed a capacity to dream, to rest, to wait, to be patient, to Trust God, to go 1 moment at a time, to find peace inside of my heart again and a lot of other good things… Hope brings rest, relief and allows us to let Go and just Trust God.

Hope brings life back into a situation that produces death!

I hope you will be blessed by this.

With Love,

Mel