What I do vs. What I Believe Pt 4 July 25, 2011
Do you really believe that what you believe is really real? If you’re still reading after four columns on this one question, I’m impressed. I’m also indebted to offer you a solution. What should we do if we find that a false belief has captured our own soul?
Three suggestions:
1) Get in the word. To paraphrase Romans 10:17, “True belief arises in our heart through hearing the word of God.” As we’ve seen over the past few weeks, we are tempted to live by faith in all sorts of things instead of God, for example, our feelings, our present circumstances, or our self-assessment. These and a whole host of other voices cry out for our attention, trying to convince us they are a trustworthy foundation for our life. If we’re not regularly being exposed to the voice of God heard through His written word, our faith in what God says will fail. We will live by faith in something else, something less. The simple fact is that the more we trust God, the more we’ll read His word. But the converse is also true: the more we read God’s word, the more we’ll trust Him.
2) Pray for faith. Be like the man who asked Jesus for a miracle, and when Jesus asked if he believed, he pleaded: “I believe! But help my unbelief!” (Mk. 9:24) Faith is a gift, and God is happy to grant it to those who ask. Pray for eyes to see what is really real, for faith to believe it, and for the ability to act on it.
3) Connect with others. As Hebrews 3:13 recommends: “You must warn each other every day, while it is still ‘today,’ so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.” Wrong beliefs are like a rip in the back of your pants: usually you need somebody else to help you see it and get it fixed. To put it plainly, it’s much easier to be deceived along the way when you’re walking it alone.
Do you really believe that what you believe is really real? If not, what are you believing instead? And more importantly, how do you plan to change it?