Hello HHLL Readers!
I’d like to start off this time with a verse:
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” (Hebrews 11:1-3)
Things are not always as they seem. The grass is not always greener on the other side. The story as presented to you by someone else is not always true. Although something happened to you, no one dares to tell you that you’re NOT the only one who has had the same experience (although it could help your situation). Those same people will also refrain from reaching out to you to tell you how they really feel, nor will they offer help. I guess in this case silence is golden? Not really.
Sometimes it’s easy to feel like you are all alone when you are not supported. This can be so much harder to bear when you know you have integrity and are faced with multiple moments of madness. At the end, you eventually start living in survival mode. Because of this, you can suffer stresses and illnesses, and you may even not be at your best cognitively to even make better decisions or have good judgement.
We also do not often hear compliments such as “good going” or “thank you for your help.” The common greeting of “hi, how are you?” has lost its genuineness and is now lack-luster in usage. No one is really appreciated, and moreover, people are not respected for doing good. This is a competitive society and, for what? With such a lack of communication and encouragement it is easy for us to get lost. What has become acceptable in society are most likely the things that harm us, which also prevent us from seeking faith and doing so diligently.
When driving cars, we are supposed to heed the following safety warning: “objects in mirror are closer than they appear.” The warning is literally written on the mirrors themselves. Well, moving objects- going fast or slow- can likewise be distorted in your vision if you are not paying close attention. But, are we cars? And if we are not cars, whose safety warnings are we following? Do we follow our own self-motivation or the motivation of others? What would be the benefit of following either?
Normally, we have a mother and father (or mother and father figures) to guide us morally. These parents take care of us until we grow from children into respectful and capable adults in our own rights. The role of the parent is no longer to “parent” us and he or she should, essentially, let us go. They also should have instilled in us an impenetrable moral compass. But if we are living life without a strong faith in God that we conscientiously practice and if there is no spiritual inspiration maybe our blind-spot detection in our “car” is not always perfect. If you are one of the lucky ones, you have this faith naturally, but it still needs to be “oiled.”
For what purpose, then, in life are we seeking as we near adulthood? Is it to date someone that you know will always remain a boyfriend or girlfriend? Is it to be single? Or is it to become married after so many years of living the single life? Could it be to travel around the world and look good in all your social media photos? Is it to have the perfect job and make a lot of money or do you want to become famous by being a superstar, but you don’t want to put in the effort? Perchance, are you living to earn enough money to impress others with your material things? All these things are fleeting and perhaps sought by superficial and selfish means, but they all will perish. These things won’t last after death.
Can’t we just take a moment to stop, breathe, question, and reflect?
Just like I was born of a mother and a father, Jesus was the same. He was born of the Holy Spirit’s help, but also had earthly parents, who were Mary and Joseph. I wanted to look up to my mom or dad for support. Jesus, also, sought everything through addressing God. Likewise, my mom and dad had parents, too. And, who did their parents look up to for advice and counsel? If we go back to the beginning of time, like Adam and Eve, they had a (spiritual) father; God. Isn’t it logical that God would be Adam and Eve’s father? So, as it is, everything traces back to God.
Because of this revelation, we must seek God. Our purpose in life is to have faith and we must continually pursue faith no matter what comes to distract us (or tempt us). We know that this is not our final destination if we are to go to Heaven. We are foreigners, traveling and seeing the world through human eyes; being in physical form, yet being affected by a spiritual experience.
Jesus was in fact resurrected from the dead. We did not see it because we weren’t there; however, we still believe this within our soul. Even though heavenly powers and spiritual authorities are invisible to us, it does not mean they do not exist because we see God’s handiwork all around us.
God is powerful to save us and bless us through Jesus’ death on the cross. We owe our lives and means of living to Him. We can never repay God for all that He has given us, but we can try through the strength of our faith in action.
God is sacred; he is holy. He deserves to be praised. We should pay attention to the fact that He has the power to create and give us everything we have- thereby making us turn from our selfish ways. Recognizing God as the main thing that needs our life’s devotion will change our perception of life and the reason it is important to have a faith that is strong, as much as we can personally will it to be through our own ability and the power of the Holy Spirit.
With self-control and determination, we can soar like an eagle and be reassured by the power of God’s love. Prepare your minds to receive the blessings by continued belief and understanding of God’s miracles and promises. He is good. So, seek faith in God and in Jesus. We are not our own help; God is our help. Although unseen, He is ever present. Let’s not forget to have patient confidence through faith in action. Allow God to command our lives- even though we want to keep looking in the side-view mirrors.
We must be deliberate and cultivate our faith because what we see is immediate, and we do not often get to see the immediate results of our work through faith. We want the answers now and do not take the time to look back. However, reflecting takes time. In fact, growing your faith takes time because it is a sacred matter. All of us can do it because we are powerful. We have the power of our mouth, thoughts, and hearts; this is perhaps why the constant renewing of our minds is very important, as the common biblical saying often goes. Change takes patience and so does building the propensity to view things according to different (or new) perspectives.
Cultivating our minds will allow the seed called faith to grow. This cultivation is like a habit we support through daily routines and our hope in this matter. Faith must also be encouraged and celebrated. By joining ourselves in the Spirit we can focus on the important thing; God. The second thing we can do is honor God through the faith we have in Him.
Genesis 24:49 – “Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.”
Deuteronomy 7:9 – “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”
1 Samuel 2:9 – “He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness. “It is not by strength that one prevails;”