John 3:16 (NKJV)
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Have you ever believed in something or someone so much that no one could change your mind? Maybe you felt that it was the only way for you to achieve the fame and fortune that you thought you had to have? How about just thinking if you reached a certain point or accumulated certain things, you wouldn’t need anything else?
We live in a world where we can be constantly prompted to be like others. How they dress, act, or what they do. Most of it is excess, to the point of overkill or is way too much. We are bombarded with it through social media and television and can easily get caught up in the hype to where we think that this is what we want to be.
We spend a lot of time when we are younger forming our own identity but may not realize who or what is affecting us along the way. At one time it was only our friends we hung out with or even our family. But now we could get constant exposure to influencers that want to persuade us to be a certain way or what to think.
It was not that long ago that the title influencer became prominent. Before that, the world of advertising was always present in some way, but now people make it their life’s passion to make you believe as they do. With access to so many social media platforms you don’t even have to wait for the latest reality series to hit the small screen.
With so much out there, we can see where any one of us can get confused, misled, or a little lost. That is why somewhere along the way we must figure out what we ourselves believe in. This question can be one of the hardest to answer because it requires us to be honest. No one wants to admit that they are a mess or have no idea.
Even if we sit down to sort through everything, it takes time and energy. Some of us are tired so want a quick fix, while others of us may not know where to begin or face the truth. As with anything there are many books and some of these same influencers who want to give the answers, but we are all different and must find the answers for ourselves.
We could spend three weeks with a group of people on the same journey, but each one of us will interpret the information differently. That is because we all have our own situations we are going through. Even in the same family two people may not view their support systems in the same way thus leading them down another path.
One of the greatest self-help books ever written that people have access to is the Bible. But again, we can all read the same scripture and it mean something different to each one of us. This is why we need to start with a solid base, a set of truths that we can stand firm on that become our strength in everything we do.
You can believe in yourself in many situations, but we need to go deeper than that or should I say higher. We need to have something that we can hold onto that can never change. This is where my belief in Jesus comes into play. He is my connection to that something deeper and higher than myself that never changes.
When I don’t feel the Lord near me I can start forgetting where my strength comes from. When we read about Jesus, He was always the same throughout every book, chapter, and verse. His focus was on the Father and others. He followed through with the Father’s plan and was sacrificed for our sins. This we can believe in.
We were shown how He was our strength and how we can be connected to it. This is the power that we can tap into and John 15:4 introduces this to us in a slightly different way, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”
To “abide” is an action verb. Not stationary, but active. Abiding in Christ is not a feeling or a simple belief, but something we do. That is we remain or stay with it being far more than the idea of continued belief in the Savior. When we stay with a steady base such as this, then we can accomplish so much more.
There will still be times when we will again feel disconnected, but we can turn to Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” This is only one of the reminders in scripture that God is with us always, there are so many more.
But there is a warning about faith comes in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The moments we do not feel we have confirmation, we have to remain faithful. We cannot be like Thomas and demand to see proof. We need to be able to believe that He is still walking beside us.
So, take the time and sift out all the distractions and empty promises to find your solid ground and steady truth. For Jesus is the same as He has been since He walked the earth, and He will be the same tomorrow.
Watching the world around me as it is quickly spinning out of control,
I put my foot down to stop this merry-go-round before I wear out my sole.
Even just trying to make a simple decision not knowing who I can trust,
Or wanting to maintain some momentum before everything goes bust.
Struggling to find my confidence I can feel self doubt beginning to rise,
And I have no one coming to my rescue or answering any of my cries.
As the winds pick up in strength there is nothing on which for me to cleave,
Lord, with there being so much uncertainty, how do I know what to believe?
Dear child, the world can be filled with a fantasy that your mind wants to see,
With so many desires that rise up telling your heart what you have to be.
Most of those things are temporary and do not lead to where they should,
Instead they bring feelings of emptiness and not fill you with something good.
My Word has the truth you need and all the guidance that you seek,
You can find the success I have planned for you even when you’re weak.
Remember, you have been made clean and that I am by your side,
Believe what I have told you because as I am in you, In Me Abide.
Simple Faith Christian
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Simple Faith Christian 