The Faith Factor in Happiness
John 14: 1 – 7
Everybody has faith in something. What the object of faith is, is strategic. Without the right object of faith life is like the Sea of Galilee; night-bound and storm-tossed. With Him, His Word of peace prevails. Faith is submission of your reason to all He has revealed.
The disciple’s world is about to unsuspectingly going into eclipse at mid-day. Their world is about to fall apart. As like theirs, there is much in our world to cause distress, also.
Christ has always honestly told His followers of both the glory and the pain involved in following Him. Every believer should realize they should not expect to eat the honey unless you are willing to take the stings.
The atmosphere in the Upper Room must have been virtually overwhelming when Jesus exhorted His disciples saying, “Have faith in God, and in me have faith.” This statement is actually a double-plus imperative.
Faith, simply defined, is confidence in God’s character.
Employ this ageless axiom in your life. “All that I have seen of my Creator teaches me to trust Him for all I have not seen.”
Faith does not ignore facts; it introduces facts, the facts of revelation. Faith is not irrational; it is suprarational. There are basically two viewpoints: divine perspective and human viewpoint. Humans tend to depend on five basic senses to reach their view point. They are sight, hearing, smell, taste, and feeling. These are the means by which we come into contact with the human realm and draw our conclusions. Alone they are insufficient. There is a “sixth sense” called faith, or the eternal point of view. It elevates the human viewpoint to more nearly understand the divine viewpoint. Without it, life never takes on its full meaning.
Faith is confidence in God. Is there any area of your life in which Jesus is not trusted with absolute control? It is possible though always improper for Him to be present in your life without being president. Is He dormant in your life when He must be dominant? Do you want Him merely to be your Savior Lord while He wants to be Sovereign Lord.
Jesus was not only trying to prepare His disciples for the forthcoming physical challenges, but for life beyond, eternal life. That is what He is doing in our lives.
Dr. Kubler-Ross, Swiss born psychiatrist, who has dealt with many persons dying, and their afterlife sharing before their exodus says, “..beyond the shadow of any doubt, there is life after what we call death.” We act like we are in the land of living on our way to the land of the dying. Actually, we are in the land of the dying on our way to the land of the living.
It is by faith in Jesus we become prepared for abundant life here, and eternal life hereafter. For by grace are you saved through faith.