Striving for my Faith
Good Morning Girls! Are you ready to move on in our list of what it is we should spend our time pursuing? I am going back to 1 Timothy 6:11But you Girls, are women of God; so run from all evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith......along with faith. Remember the definition of pursue? It means to follow in an effort to overtake or capture; chase, strive to gain or accomplish. Strive for my faith? Are you kidding? I've been there, done that. I have worked for my faith. Strived for my faith. Bartered and begged for my faith. And I am done with that! The Lord has brought me back to the place I was 11 years ago as a newborn Christian. He has brought me back to that sweet place of realizing what this "faith stuff" is all about. Being a child of God is simple again. I am once again going about my day singing "Jesus loves me" and meaning it with all my heart!
Would you like to know how I returned to that wonderful place? Would you like to know what I did? Nothing. For once I didn't do a thing. I didn't follow someone's work order regarding requirements for prayer time, Bible time, service time, or even "being nice" time. I simply did what it says in Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. Now I have heard and read this verse hundreds of times. But it wasn't until I read it in Joseph Prince's book Destined to Reign, that the light bulb went off. You see, faith doesn't necessarily come by hearing just any scripture. My faith didn't grow when I confessed "my faith can move mountains" a gazillion times. My faith didn't grow when I said "my body is a temple" a million times when trying to stay away from sweets. And even though this verse has gotten me back on my feet a trillion times: saying "do not rejoice over me my enemy, for when I fall, I shall arise", had never increased my faith. For years I have been studying, learning, meditating, reciting scripture- believing that I was building my faith. I dug deeper and deeper into the Word. I didn't play reindeer games with the easy verses like John 3:16. I already knew God loved me. I already knew Jesus died for me. I already knew my sins were forgiven. I mean duh....what Christian doesn't, right?
Apparently this one didn't! As I read this book, I realized how many "religious practices" I had taken on. I realized how I had twisted the Word of God and made it a Program. A series of "if-then" statements. If I tithe- then this will happen. If I pray this way- then this will happen. If I follow what every single Pastor who preaches says then this will happen. Well, guess what- I did all of the "ifs" and the "thens" did not happen! Imagine my broken heart. I had followed all the "rules" yet things were falling apart, and getting worse the harder I worked! That is when my heart was hardened and I took on a "what's the point?" attitude. Why bother..... this "if- then" religion I have developed does not work!
So I picked up the book that has been on my nightstand for a year and a half. The book that all my friends told me I just had to read. The book that swept through the church and changed the lives of many. I had tried in the past to read this book. I have read chapter 1 about 8 times! I guess I won't yet ready to receive. I wasn't yet ready to make my life with the Lord simple again. Just like the first time I was born again- the Lord waited until I was ready to receive and He spoke to my heart and said "read the book." And I did. And guess what? From the moment I started I felt myself being renewed and refreshed! I felt myself returning to the arms of Jesus. I felt like I was born again.....again!
So what is it about Romans 10:17 that I saw so differently? When it says faith comes from hearing, it doesn't mean hearing just any scripture (though it is all good). No, let's look at it again. Faith comes by hearing, that is hearing the Good News about Christ. Not just thinking, yeah, I know, Jesus died for my sins- but really hearing it. Hearing it and understanding all that it means when Jesus died for us. Understanding just how much Jesus loves us and what that means....for it is so much more than what I had been experiencing- especially in all my own efforts!
So Girls, we are going to pursue our faith in it's most simple, purest form. We are going to look at Jesus. We are going to "hear" about His love for us. Are you ready?
Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
Love you all (but not as much as Jesus does)-
Jen
Would you like to know how I returned to that wonderful place? Would you like to know what I did? Nothing. For once I didn't do a thing. I didn't follow someone's work order regarding requirements for prayer time, Bible time, service time, or even "being nice" time. I simply did what it says in Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. Now I have heard and read this verse hundreds of times. But it wasn't until I read it in Joseph Prince's book Destined to Reign, that the light bulb went off. You see, faith doesn't necessarily come by hearing just any scripture. My faith didn't grow when I confessed "my faith can move mountains" a gazillion times. My faith didn't grow when I said "my body is a temple" a million times when trying to stay away from sweets. And even though this verse has gotten me back on my feet a trillion times: saying "do not rejoice over me my enemy, for when I fall, I shall arise", had never increased my faith. For years I have been studying, learning, meditating, reciting scripture- believing that I was building my faith. I dug deeper and deeper into the Word. I didn't play reindeer games with the easy verses like John 3:16. I already knew God loved me. I already knew Jesus died for me. I already knew my sins were forgiven. I mean duh....what Christian doesn't, right?
Apparently this one didn't! As I read this book, I realized how many "religious practices" I had taken on. I realized how I had twisted the Word of God and made it a Program. A series of "if-then" statements. If I tithe- then this will happen. If I pray this way- then this will happen. If I follow what every single Pastor who preaches says then this will happen. Well, guess what- I did all of the "ifs" and the "thens" did not happen! Imagine my broken heart. I had followed all the "rules" yet things were falling apart, and getting worse the harder I worked! That is when my heart was hardened and I took on a "what's the point?" attitude. Why bother..... this "if- then" religion I have developed does not work!
So I picked up the book that has been on my nightstand for a year and a half. The book that all my friends told me I just had to read. The book that swept through the church and changed the lives of many. I had tried in the past to read this book. I have read chapter 1 about 8 times! I guess I won't yet ready to receive. I wasn't yet ready to make my life with the Lord simple again. Just like the first time I was born again- the Lord waited until I was ready to receive and He spoke to my heart and said "read the book." And I did. And guess what? From the moment I started I felt myself being renewed and refreshed! I felt myself returning to the arms of Jesus. I felt like I was born again.....again!
So what is it about Romans 10:17 that I saw so differently? When it says faith comes from hearing, it doesn't mean hearing just any scripture (though it is all good). No, let's look at it again. Faith comes by hearing, that is hearing the Good News about Christ. Not just thinking, yeah, I know, Jesus died for my sins- but really hearing it. Hearing it and understanding all that it means when Jesus died for us. Understanding just how much Jesus loves us and what that means....for it is so much more than what I had been experiencing- especially in all my own efforts!
So Girls, we are going to pursue our faith in it's most simple, purest form. We are going to look at Jesus. We are going to "hear" about His love for us. Are you ready?
Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
Love you all (but not as much as Jesus does)-
Jen
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