January 27, 2009
Living by Faith
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV) “We live by faith, not by sight.”
Friend To Friend
Miracles should be a daily occurrence. “God things” should be the norm if we truly know and abide in Christ. Men and women leave ministry every day, their lives shattered against a measurable faith by the hammering blows of life. Life lived in human power is consuming and futile but life lived in God’s power is powerful and purpose driven.
As a wife, mother, friend, family member … in any relationship, we cannot lead where we have not been, we cannot share what we do not possess and we cannot convey a message of power from a powerless life. God stands ready to pour His power in and through us to a world filled with hurting, wounded and hopeless people. All of His power is at our disposal yet we are satisfied to live our days filled with results that can be understood and easily explained in human terms. I desperately want to live in such a way that one day I can look back in wonder at all of the “God things” He did in and through my life. I pray that those who come behind me will celebrate an ordinary life that was lived in extraordinary ways and is explainable only through a power man can neither produce nor comprehend – God’s power.
The power of God is unleashed through faith. Faith is a personal issue. Just as we cannot inherit or borrow faith, neither can we rely on the faith of anyone else. We must have our own personal faith.
As a freshman in college, I began dating a young man whose faith was very different from my own. Normally, I would never have considered dating anyone whose beliefs were in such stark contrast to mine, but we had so many other things in common and so enjoyed being together that we decided to take the risk and just date for fun. Big mistake! Neither one of us was prepared for the fact that our relationship quickly escalated into a serious one but we both realized that unless we resolved the faith issue, we would never have a future together.
I had attended church from birth and simply assumed that my beliefs were right because they were all I knew – until someone I really cared about questioned the authenticity of my commitment to God. I began to examine my faith and ended up making it my own. While a human relationship ended, I will be forever grateful that God used that young man to affirm my belief system, test my faith and deepen my eternal relationship with God.
Let’s Pray
Father, I want to become a woman of faith in order to please You and live a life of victory – not defeat. I want my life to point others to You alone. I don’t want to settle for anything less than the best You have for me, Father. Please fill my heart with a hunger for You, Your truth and Your will. Today, I choose to step out in faith and do whatever You want me to do. Strengthen me, Lord, and help me to live by faith – not by sight.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
- How would you define faith?
- Would others describe you as a woman of faith? Would your husband and children? Your friends?
- Read Hebrews 11:1-3 and then write the meaning of faith according to these verses.
- How does your faith differ from the kind of faith described in Hebrews?
- What is the first step you need to take in order to become a woman of faith?
- Do a word search of bible verses containing the word “faith”. Choose three of these verses to memorize.
More From The Girlfriends
I love the acrostic defining faith: Forsaking all I trust Him. In order to trust God, we must forsake anyone or anything else as our source. God is our source and like the Shepherd cares for his flock, God meets every need in the lives of His children. Join me in a new commitment to live life, trusting only God. Need help? I have a CD - Love That Never Fails and an MP3 download - Stepping Out in Faith that will encourage and equip you to walk in faith. Blessings.
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