Where does your faith come from? Do you struggle with faith issues? I do, a great deal, at times. I'm a control freak and want it all done in my time, on my plan, and yet, life usually always chooses a different way to go.
So, I recently witnessed non-Christians, and I state non-Christians because I am a Christian and was raised a Christian and view faith from a Christian stand point, therefore, I again use the word non-Christians in a situating where life seemed to have just worked out for the good. And, I'm not saying you must be religious to have good things in life, but who do you turn to if you don't have a god when times get tough? Where does your gratitude go, if not to God, when thing are good? And, I'm asking this sincerely and seriously. I'm not judging nor saying Jesus is the way...even though I do believe that. :)
I'm wanting opinions here, views, and nice comments from Christians as well as non-Christians. And, I hate to just use these two categories, for the post is not about either of them really, it's about faith. Where does your faith come from? Experiences? Your security? Your own works? God??
Share with me, please. :)
Please remember to be respectful of all views and comments when posting a reply.
9 comments:
1) quit apologizing for "offending anyone"! Someone, somewhere will always be offended by everything each of us says. You live in the USA, this is YOUR blog, you can write what you want.
2) I have quit saying "faith" because it's too vague. I believe in Jesus Christ. He died for me. I am a sinner, made whole thru Him. The way to heaven is only thru Jesus and God's forgiveness. It's black and white. That's my 2 cents worth for today. Hugs to you!!!!!
Mellissa, I made a quick change there at the end.
I have had some really bad experiences with people criticizing me for quoting scripture and such. I'm just not about confrontation with it comes to my views on God, nor do I really want to be, I'm just looking for other's views on this one. :)
Ok, total dittos to what Melissa said. The only think I would add is I turn to His Word when I am looking for guidance or to strengthen my faith, etc. That is why I believe we need to be daily in His Word to keep our faith strong and to keep us grow. Karen
Toni, this comment I am leaving might enflame some folks if you have been ripped on for quoting scripture on your blog...that is the work of evil and intolerance. There are many who want to silence your faith in God. If you believe you need to stand strong in that faith and in God's love. I know it isn't easy...my own hubby is totally agnostic. I live with someone who thinks I am ridiculious and i still love him. But that doesn't make me quiet. I have learned to speak up for what I believe in. I heard this quote and it has really empowered me, "If you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything." I won't fall out of my faith, I choose to stand up for it. I pray that you will find comfort with those of us who support you and ignore those who antoginize you.
I'm not sure where faith comes from...when I was younger, I was raised catholic because my dad was catholic but my mom was everything else in the book...I gues you could call her a religion student? Anyways, I followed everything I was told at church school and during mass to the T. But as I grew older, I realized that the world isn't as it seems and I am not sure whether I believed in god any longer. And, as my dad started to work more often, he had less time to go to church and by the age of 14, I stopped going.
So, I couldn't tell. I believe and being good and being a good citizen if that makes any kind of sense.
I'm just simply not sure if there really is someone out there or our reason for being on earth. I think that the organized church today is corrupt so i don't know what exactly to believe in. There's so many religions and beliefs that when I was younger, I was scared to death that I might be believing in the wrong religion and I was going to be punished. For example, if Jesus was Jewish, should I be also?..I'm just unsure.
But, I think one can show their gratitude for good things happening by doing good for others. For example, I am a huge volunteering and non-profit fan and I show my appreciation by helping those in need :)
Toni,
you totally know my view on this one because we have had this discussion before. I am a Christian and VERY proud to say it and will defend it to anyone and at anytime. I totally agree with Karen and esp. Mellissa!!!!! We are all sinners and we all need Jesus Christ to save us from our sins. Believe Toni Believe!!!!!! Tiff
Don't say 'I'm not saying that Jesus is the way.. even though I believe that.' That's very contradicting. If you believe it then you shouldn't be apologizing or backing down. You should be shouting 'Jesus IS the way'. There can only be one truth, so if you believe that Jesus Christ is the way, then you shouldn't say that other people's beliefs are right as well. They can't be.
Jesus is the way!! (:
Thanks for the post!
I believe that since people are made in God's image and we live in the amazing world that He created, we all have enough faith to believe that He exists. That inborn faith can be destroyed by many things, such as education that proclaims there is no God. Or our inborn faith can be nurtured by hearing about God from others and reading about Him in the Bible. God's desire is that each person's faith be nurtured to the point that they will believe that He loves them and provided Jesus as the way to fellowship with God. Once we have that "saving faith", we must continue to nurture it by reading, studying, & listening to God's Word. "Faith comes through hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." Rom 10:17
Personally, my faith grows when I search for & claim the promises in Scripture and when I think about all the attributes (faithfulness, love, mercy, sovereignty, power, etc) of God.
Romans 12:3 - every man has an inner meaure of faith. What does this mean? It means everyone is born with a measure of faith. It doesn't say in the bible how much. Lets go on.
Romans 1:18-20 - in summary it's so obvious when you wake up in the morning and walk in Gods world that this is no fluke, this is just too perfect. It was created by God and no man has an excuse not to see, smell, taste, touch an amazing supernatural God.
Hebrews 11:6 - without faith you cannot please God. This means that it is important!!!
Romans 10:8-17 - ends in faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. You want to know where faith comes from? It is in us in a small measure from birth, it's so obvious when we use any of our senses that there is a God and finally, the word of God. Read it, study it, say it out loud. Listen to some good sermons (John Piper is pretty good). Ask the Holy Spirit to come into your life and change you to be more like Jesus. Speak to God. Take some time out. Jesus even went off to the wilderness to spend some quality quiet time with His father. I'll stop there, I'm regurgitatig my sermon for tomorrow!
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