I don’t understand everything God does or why He does it. But one thing that seems to be true is that when He wants something to happen here in the world, He will often give someone a vision, or promise, of that something. That promise or revelation seems to be given so that we will pray and sometimes work that into reality.
When I say revelation, it isn’t always a big spiritual thing. Sometimes it’s a business you could start to serve a need. Sometimes it is an idea for a new invention or a dream of a new career. This post is not about discerning whether that is of God or for that matter, how revelation works faith in us.
Today I want to talk about the practical side of faith. The way that faith works in us. A living faith produces works, or actions. So if your faith produces no actions on your part, it’s a dead faith. It is true, faith asks God to do something for us and to come through. But normally there is a response needed from our side first.
Let’s take this for an example; Let’s say you believe that God has called you to build your own business. But there are still things that seem impossible. What will you do with that call?
You can choose to just sit and ask God to make it happen. And if you are not sure about the call, that might be exactly what you need to do. However, if you are confident in your call, it may be time to move to the next level. The action part.
If we create a clear picture of where we see this business going, there is always something you can do today. And if your faith is live, then you will do those things. There will also be some things that you can’t do today. That is where faith hands it over to God and lets Him take care of it. Your responsibility is to do that which you can do. That takes boldness and it proves your faith.
Faith releases us to do our part. It allows us to do what we can do today, leaving the rest in God’s hands. It requires us to let go of the things that are impossible for us to do, and to not let the fear of the impossible or unknown hold us back from doing what we can do now. Faith recognizes that there are things we can’t do yet, but lets go of them, so we can focus on the things we can do.
The fear of the unknown or the impossible results in a fear of failure. True faith releases us from the fear of failure, or at least allows us to overcome it, and move ahead in spite of it. Failure is not the worst thing that can happen to you. Not attempting great things is. Not risking failure is to do nothing worthwhile.
Faith empowers us to do what we can today. It trusts that what we do today will help the yet impossible come to pass. It focuses us on our abilities and on God’s abilities instead of on the things that are impossible for us.
Imagine how motivated you would be to move forward on your dreams if you believed they could really be your reality. So faith moves us into action and gives us the ability to do the things we can today, believing that God will open doors tomorrow. And someday our dreams will be reality.
Everything worth doing carries risk. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Doing what you can do today, when there are so many things that have to happen that are still impossible, carries risk. Risk of failure. Risk of embarrassment. Risk of disappointment. But the things we do in partnership with God require that we believe that God will do as He has revealed or promised.
And our acting in faith pleases God and ultimately releases God’s blessing on our lives.