holy spirit Archives - Leonard McElveen

Why Faith

Why I Wrote About Faith

For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been writing about faith. What it is, how to use it and how to have Faith when all attempts of my own efforts fail. In my heart, I believe that people can struggle with their faith. For that reason, I wanted to share some of my own faith victories and struggles this time.

My Struggle

Faith for me was always something that I heard about in church. I knew I was supposed to have it, that I was supposed to use it and I even knew a scripture or two. Despite all of this I struggled with developing my own faith.

Rules & Laws Are Not the Way

I tend to be a person that likes steps and rules. The 5 Steps for this or the 7 Laws of that, tend to be right up my alley. That is how I think. It makes concepts and processes easy for me to understand.

What I failed to understand was that believing in God and then trusting in Him was more than 5 or 7 steps. It is more than fulfilling certain rules and laws. Following steps doesn’t build trust in God. It distances us from God and makes Him seem like an unapproachable boss rather than the loving Father that He truly is.

What I Really Needed

Following rules and laws are good, but it doesn’t help me develop a real relationship with God. I didn’t really trust Him. I was trusting more in the rules and laws to get the results that I wanted.

Today, I like to think that I’ve gotten better. I honestly still struggle with thinking that sometimes it would be easier to just follow the rules and then get the results. However, some of the best parts of being in a relationship with God have nothing to do with the “things” that come. Some of the best parts are the comfort that comes from being able to be open and honest with God. The peace that comes from knowing Him. He has helped me in more ways than I can count.

Be Honest

There is nothing wrong with being honest with God and telling Him that we are struggling with something. Even if it is trusting in Him. God will prove Himself to you. Just as He did for me.

Getting Better

My relationship with God is stronger now than it was in the past. I know that it can get better and as a result my faith will be positively impacted. I look forward to growing in this relationship, so that I can tell others about God and how He transformed my life.

What has helped you in your relationship with God? How does your faith come into play?

What is Faith?

Last week I started with an article called How to Have Faith. Beginning this series on faith, one of the most important questions to ask is “What is Faith?” You don’t hear it a lot in everyday conversations. Is it something that is used in church circles? Can it be more than a trigger word used Sunday mornings?

I’m sure there is a super deep answer to the above questions. Those types of definitions and explanations don’t resonate with me. I like to start with the most basic definition and then build from there. For me, Faith is Trust.

Complete Trust

Faith is complete trust or confidence in someone or something (Webster’s Dictionary). To say that I have faith in God means that I have complete trust and confidence in Him. I trust Him to honor His word, the Bible.

Sometimes it can seem hard to trust God because we can rely so much on our five senses as the basis for what we put our trust in. It’s easy to trust that my paycheck will be in my bank account because I physically went to work for the past two weeks.

It can be easy to trust in something like gravity because our feet are still in contact with the ground. We haven’t heard any stories of people that suddenly were walking and then floating.

In each of these examples there is an aspect where one or more of our five senses is involved. So why is the struggle to have faith in God so real?

Do We Trust our 5 Senses?

Trusting or having faith in God can be a struggle because we must do without our five senses or in a way that our five senses are not used to. Can I touch, see, hear, taste, or smell God?

It is through our hearts that I believe we experience God. Through that experience, we can involve our five senses. God can touch my heart in a way that pain is no longer there. In my heart, I can see a brighter future than I deserve. It is in my heart that I hear His voice speaking to me. Through the experience, I can taste life as God has it.

As Good As His Word

People use to say that a man was only as good as his word. I’ve think we’ve lost sight of that today. Most people are only good if there is something in it for them. God, however, is as good as His word.

Isaiah 55:11(KJV)
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Like any relationship, trust in the other person begins in small steps. Let’s begin to trust God with small steps. From my own experience, I can tell you that it will be the beginning of the best relationship that you will ever have.

3 Ways to Handle Life’s Setbacks

Joy at the Beginning

If you’re like me, there is such a rush you get when you start out on a new project or venture. Everything is exciting, you’re meeting deadlines with enthusiasm and gladness. You can see the end of this project and how it’s going to change the world. People’s lives will be better off because of what you are doing.

Then a setback happens. It catches us a little off guard, so we might miss a deadline. We feel bad, but our exuberance carries us through and we continue the journey. Then another setback. Now we’re a little concerned that maybe we missed something. This is not going as well as we thought. Doubt begins to creep in.

The Cycle

The cycle can continue where we are doing well and have victories, but then setbacks occur. For many people these setbacks become so overwhelming that all they can think about is the next setback that will happen. There is another way.

We don’t have to let life’s setbacks overtake us. Here are three ways that we can get past the setbacks.

Our Minds

1. Renewing our mind. For me, this is why prayer is important. Starting the day out by focusing my mind on what God says about me, rather than immediately thinking about the setback. Putting my mind on what God says allows me to approach each day with a fresh mindset.

Romans 12:2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Stress

2. Give the stress of the setback to God. It’s amazing how something like stress that is mental and psychological, can damage our physical bodies. This is because we are not meant to carry the weight and the stress of situations. We must give those things to God and then not take them back from Him.

1 Peter 5:7
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Peace from God

3. Ask God for peace. God will give us peace. Peace that will keep our hearts and minds. In exchange for us giving Him our stress and problems, He gives us peace. So, we should continue to give those things to Him. Our minds will try to take them back and want to think about them. That is taking it back from God. Trust God. He can handle whatever our situation is.

Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

We don’t have to let the setbacks in life overtake us. God has a different plan for us. Let’s trust Him today. How has God helped you through life’s setbacks?