Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Faith


Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3)

I have a few memories left of the thousands of people I spoke to across America as I attempted to find solutions to many of the serious problems that face young people and families.  I poured myself into each presentation seeking to answer some tough questions and share what I had discovered in research and practice.  Unfortunately, I always felt at the close of a session that many were more confused than when we started. One day a man brought me the following and suggested it might help to relieve some of the stress I felt when time would not allow any further discussion.  At the close of each session I placed this on the overhead projector:

And in conclusion:
I fully realize that I have not
succeeded in answering all
of your questions.
Indeed, I know that I have
not answered any of them
completely.

The answers I have provided
only serve to raise a whole
new set of questions, which
only lead to more problems,
some of which you weren’t
even aware were problems.
To sum it all up...

In some ways we are as
confused as ever, but I
believe we are now
confused on a higher level
and about more important
things.
            
           
                       Anonymous

After reviewing this attempt at humor, I became aware that actually this is more true than we would like to think.  Isn’t this the course of anyone who seeks to find answers in life?  Questions lead to questions and along the way we learn and grow.  Persons who can’t be satisfied without an answer find themselves tormented by life for there is no single answer of logical reason.

So what holds us together?  What keeps us sane?  FAITH.  Faith is not in reason, logic or understanding; it is in the person of God.  He has made us to need Him and find Him through only one way...FAITH.  Go to the end of all understanding and you will still need one last thing to be saved and find peace...FAITH.

Scripture to Claim:
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

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