Faith Over Fear (Faith in God)
On any given day I consider myself a man of great faith. Not because of stories that I have read or been told, but because of my own personal experiences. Encounters where I know it was nothing but the strength, love and grace of God that brought me through.
With that said - I believe there are many people who feel defeated in their faith walk because it does not come natural for them yet. They look around and see the "faith talkers and faith walkers" and think they have it made. But they do not see the journey that it took to get there.
Yes I am a strong believer that my faith must always trump my fears. However that does not mean I walk around with a big F on my chest all the time.
It does not mean that I do not get scared and wonder how I am going to make it through certain situations. It does not mean that I do not sometimes allow the stresses of life to weigh me down.
It does not mean that I am immune to heartbreaks, sickness, or attacks of the enemy. It does not mean that sometimes I do not exercise bad judgment or make horrible decisions.
Yes, sometimes I worry, sometimes I get angry, sometimes I even cry about the things I see in the natural. And that is ok. Those are normal reactions to life's unpleasant moments and there is no reason to feel ashamed of those moments.
But the key is to not stay and dwell there. The key is to build up your faith arsenal when things are going well, so that you are equipped for the not so good moments. Study those scriptures on faith and commit them to memory so you can speak to your fears when they arise.
The key is to hold close the memories of the times that you activated your faith and God stepped in. And if you are short of experiences, glean from those that have stories to share about their faith.
The key is to still be able to cry out to God in your weakest moments knowing that regardless of what you are facing ... He is STILL God. You do not have to come to Him with it all together ... He is there when you are completely broken... even when you cannot even say a prayer because of the intensity of your tears.
There is not a magic potion for increasing your faith, it is a process. However the more you activate your faith instead of going (or staying) in panic mode- the more it will become a way of a life and not a second thought. And one day, you will boldly be able to declare that your faith ALWAYS trumps your fears.
Scripture of the Day: "Be still and know that I am God." - Psalm 46:10a