What is Faith? In the words of Saint Augustine, “Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.”
Once a group of villagers gathered to pray. They had no rains for years and the Parish Priest suggested a prayer meeting. Everyone was invited to fast and pray for rains. When all of them were gathered, the Priest asked the congregation. “How many of you here are carrying an umbrella?” Only one boy stood up with his umbrella. This is Faith.
Faith is not shooting in the dark. It is rather taking the first step, even when you know that the stairway is dark and you have no sight of the end. You take that first step because you know God and have complete trust in Him. Faith is not a chance or a possibility. It is a choice we make to believe in God, even when there are uncertainties. It is a conviction of things that we can’t see. We may not know how things will happen, when it will happen – but we know that it will happen.
Faith is not a feeling. We build faith because we have heard facts. These facts come to us from hearing the word of God – every single day. It is such Faith, built on facts that give us the power to hold on in tough times of our lives. Faith is not about how much you have it. It is all about who you place your Faith in. If we deeply root our faith in Jesus, it’s enough to have Faith as small as a mustard seed. God says, we can move mountains with it. Faith is not about knowing the future, but its about knowing who holds your future. The word of God says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God” (Phil 4: 6).
Faith is never passive. It must always be active in our life. It’s a decision we make to see light from the bottom of our heart, even when our eyes can only see darkness. I still remember an incident from school days. I had just completed a technical exam. Unfortunately, the typewriter I used was faulty and just refused to work. I left the exam hall convinced that I wouldn’t pass. When I was lying on my bed one night, I decided to pray for my results. I finished my prayer and then thought to myself – the exam is over. I have submitted my answers. What can God do now! That very moment I was disappointed – the dark stairway was ahead of me. Suddenly God reminded me of a verse from the Bible Mathew 9:18 “The leader bowed down before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But if you will come and touch her with your hand, she will live again.” The girl was dead, but the leader had Faith that if Jesus touched her, she would live. This is a fact that the word of God holds. I closed my eyes and with faith as small as a mustard seed, I prayed – “My exams are over. But Jesus, if you will come and touch my paper with your hands, I will pass”. I went to bed. Faith unlocks blessings. I passed my exams with First Class scores and was a topper of my institute. This was just not possible without Gods intervention.
Allow God to intervene in your life today. From the smallest problem to the biggest obstacle – surrender them all to him. Have Faith! Remember, by Faith you can see God handling your problems. Let your Faith be stronger than your fears. Read the word of God to build a strong faith filled relationship with God.
Smitha Lobo