The Focus of Our Faith

W hen life gets out of center what should you do? Often our belief in God and our experiences in life don’t always connect. Stated another way, sometimes our response to experiences at home, at school and on the job contradict our faith in God. When that occurs we should focus our faith not on “the things which are seen but on that which is unseen” – not on circumstances but on God’s Spirit within. (Romans 8:9).

 

Focusing our faith is to realize we need more than A Positional Faith. A Positional Faith is the result of a faith response to the gospel and being positioned as church members. But we also need an Operational Faith – one that lives as a disciple of Jesus. This means we must remove ourselves and our circumstances from the center of life and place Jesus there. “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance”. (James 1:2,3) NASB

 

When disappointment and disillusionments cause our faith to be out of focus we should respond with an Operational Faith in God. God’s view of life is higher than our view of circumstances. Whether our life seem to be good or not we can chose to trust that God is using them to strengthen us. “Jesus said, I’ve come that you might have life to the full” (John 10:10).

 

Additionally, God’s purposes for us are higher than our purposes for ourselves. God has a better use for our lives than any we could dream of. Often when we have stood up to the “Issues of Life” while not compromising our faith, we get a glimpse of the higher purpose of God – thereby, experiencing a clearer view of life.

 

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than you ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts,” (Isaiah 55:8,9).

 

When your faith needs a stronger focus remember God’s view of life is higher and God’s purposes for life are higher than any circumstance we may encounter.

 

Dr. Taylor A. McKenzie