On Faith And Reason…
So faith is the evidence of things not seen, the hope of things to come. Yet, I find that I am struggling to have faith, and believe in God. I know that He will bring what He has promised, to pass. But my fear is that I wouldn’t like it, or it wouldn’t be as good as I expect. My mind tells me one thing, and my heart tells me something else. Each day is a tussle, though some days are better than others.
The thing is – I will obey Him. That’s the bottom line. But my fear is that I will end up enduring what He gives, rather than enjoying! Strangely enough (or not), all my life, I’ve never been given anything (by Him) that I had to endure. When I’ve obeyed His will, I’ve received the absolute best – not immediately or in the way I expected, but better! So why, on the basis of all that I’ve experienced, do I doubt now? Why is my faith so fleeting and ephemeral?
Abraham believed, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Believing, which would include an element of trusting, is the sum total of a Christian’s life. Lack of it would be akin to sin.
So I’m facing a “wheelbarrow-on-tightrope” moment. And my inclination is to protect myself from the (inevitable, my mind tells me) fall. I reason with myself and say that all the facts point to a certain conclusion. So logically, the end result is going to be something I don’t think I want. But if it is His will, why do I doubt my appreciation of it? Is my choice better than God’s?
Without faith it is impossible to please God. II Kings 18:5 – 7 talks about Hezekiah’s faith – “He trusted in the Lord God of Israel…for he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him…(and) the Lord was with him…” This was evident to others as well, since we see his enemies say, “What confidence is this in which you trust?” (verse 19). Trusting in God was his confidence. Trust gave him the confidence to hold out against all odds.
So what can I do with my fear (masquerading as reason)? All I can do is pray and lay my fears at His feet. All my doubts, questions and reasoning, I bring before my Maker, who knows me inside out, so I can’t hide it anyway. I do not have the strength to overcome these; I am weak and tired of grappling on my own. (Reason does that to me. I think I can sort out, or figure things out by my own self.) As an old writer said, “Oh what a luggage is Reason to Faith!”
And He will give me the grace to live joyfully, now, rather than endure life. Whatever the circumstances, however grim they may be, my assurance is that He never changes. So my hope remains grounded in Him.
The thing is – I will obey Him. That’s the bottom line. But my fear is that I will end up enduring what He gives, rather than enjoying! Strangely enough (or not), all my life, I’ve never been given anything (by Him) that I had to endure. When I’ve obeyed His will, I’ve received the absolute best – not immediately or in the way I expected, but better! So why, on the basis of all that I’ve experienced, do I doubt now? Why is my faith so fleeting and ephemeral?
Abraham believed, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Believing, which would include an element of trusting, is the sum total of a Christian’s life. Lack of it would be akin to sin.
So I’m facing a “wheelbarrow-on-tightrope” moment. And my inclination is to protect myself from the (inevitable, my mind tells me) fall. I reason with myself and say that all the facts point to a certain conclusion. So logically, the end result is going to be something I don’t think I want. But if it is His will, why do I doubt my appreciation of it? Is my choice better than God’s?
Without faith it is impossible to please God. II Kings 18:5 – 7 talks about Hezekiah’s faith – “He trusted in the Lord God of Israel…for he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him…(and) the Lord was with him…” This was evident to others as well, since we see his enemies say, “What confidence is this in which you trust?” (verse 19). Trusting in God was his confidence. Trust gave him the confidence to hold out against all odds.
So what can I do with my fear (masquerading as reason)? All I can do is pray and lay my fears at His feet. All my doubts, questions and reasoning, I bring before my Maker, who knows me inside out, so I can’t hide it anyway. I do not have the strength to overcome these; I am weak and tired of grappling on my own. (Reason does that to me. I think I can sort out, or figure things out by my own self.) As an old writer said, “Oh what a luggage is Reason to Faith!”
And He will give me the grace to live joyfully, now, rather than endure life. Whatever the circumstances, however grim they may be, my assurance is that He never changes. So my hope remains grounded in Him.
As the Psalmist says, “Why are you cast down O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God.”
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