Faith cannot be dependent on emotions. Otherwise, when you are up, your faith is up and when you are down, your faith is down. As your emotions go, so goes your faith. Emotional faith is an illusion. Emotionally dependent faith is no faith at all
Faith cannot be dependent upon circumstances. Otherwise, when things are good, your faith is good and when things are bad, your faith is bad. As your circumstances go, so goes your faith. Circumstantial faith, too, is an illusion and no faith at all.
The faith we have as Christians is given to us by God, even the faith to come to Christ. Nothing is of ourselves. We have a God-given faith that is not dependent on emotions or circumstance. Our faith is to be based on facts, many of which cannot be seen. Our faith is to believe what is not evident. Our faith is to withstand in all things. Our faith is to be the power of God in us. Our faith is to be the true faith.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
(Hebrews 11:1 NIV)
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Well said, my brother.
You have explained so clearly what I have said for years, Butch. When I lost my husband, my one true love, I didn’t lose faith for one moment … because my faith is not tied to emotion.
Blessings ~ Maxi
I completely agree, but find that it is easy to acknowledge this intellectually, harder for my heart to accept this message! Faith can be a fragile thing when the hard times come! When I’m struggling, I’ve learned to just wait for my emotions to settle…my faith is there, stabilizing me through the ups and downs of life. I have to be still and quiet enough to recognize it again. Does that make sense? ~ Sheila
It makes good sense, Shelia.
Sheila, you are right. I love to quote Psalm 46:10 in those times you discussed. I have them too. We all have them. But those of us, like you, who have a faith grounded in God’s word always prevail. Be still and know that I am God.
Amen
That’s a great verse for this concept. I often try to paper over my distress, whatever it may be, with action. Being still is hard at first, but in stillness I can absorb the lesson of life, the power of faith, and the presence of holy. I am learning that I can’t hear the voice of God if my own voice is too loud.
Nice to meet you! ~ Sheila
Amen, Sheila. You’re right. My voice gets way to loud a lot, and that drowns out God’s. Nice to meet you as well.
You’ve written about a stark truth, when we are bombarded with the common misconception that faith is something we drum up. Ephesians 2:8-9 says that saving faith is a gift from God. As you’ve said so well, if faith were dependent upon us … well, who would ever possess it?
“Our hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness, I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly trust on Jesus’ name – On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.”
Faith in His truth! Well put.
AMEN