Faith: Believing Without Controlling Robert Schaetzle “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old received divine approval.” Hebrews 11:1-2 RSV
After our public profession of faith, we begin a lifelong journey of growing and learning. Learning to recognize and understand that living by faith in God’s promises is not based upon human reasoning and self-determination. Believing in Jesus is not about trying to control things. Too often we tend to manipulate things in the flesh as we attempt to make things work out the way we want, instead of walking by faith.
It’s far greater to listen to God who knows all and obey His Spiritual prompting before the fact, rather than plead or bargain hunt with Him after the fact. God calls us, by faith, to rely on Him in trust and prayer. When we do, we reflect Jesus as Paul states:
‘What we reflect to others is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.’ 2 Corinthians 4:5 We are ambassadors for the kingdom and grow in Christlikeness as we walk in faith. In Christ, we are a new creation; we let go the old ways of self-reliance when we trusted in Him. Today, as we focus on who we are in Christ, we are transformed supernaturally into His image in heart attitude and appearance for all we encounter. God reaches out through us in love as we reflect His presence. Faith is about trusting God, not trying to control the outcome.
Robert lives in Sunnyvale, Ca serving in a Sharing and Caring Ministry. Contact |