Faith Is. . .

I was watching Joyce Meyer yesterday, and I thought I’d share something she brought up. She used a verse in Colossians to define faith, I’d never heard it defined that way before, and it got me thinking.

Colossians 1:4a in the amplified Bible [the leaning of your entire human personality on Him in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness].

I like that definition.

Many of us have heard the definition of faith as:

Hebrews 11:1 (Amp)
NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].

Whichever verse you want to use one thing that is always constant is that Faith is consistent. It’s not here one day and gone the next. Faith is not a fleeing thing, but it’s stable and constant. I often use the concept that faith is like constant water. Changes in the rocks might be gradual but it’s the consistency that smoothes them down over time.

So often many in the body of Christ mistake faith for emotion. One day something happens that gets one all excited and the next day it doesn’t. One day we’re up on cloud nine knowing we’ve heard from God and the next day we’re convinced God doesn’t even hear our prayers. That my friends, isn’t faith. It’s an emotional roller coaster that will drain on you spiritually. Faith is consistent. It is not dependant on your circumstances, and until one grabs firmly to this concept they won’t be able to fully accomplish the things God has for them.

Hebrews 11:6 (Amp)
But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].

God loves it when His children trust Him despite of what is going on around them.

Someone came to me recently and asked me about this. They wanted to know what was the difference between being in faith on something and just being plain stubborn. I had to chuckle at the question because I’ve asked myself the same one often. According to the dictionary faith is belief or trust: belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof. The definition of stubborn is unreasonably determined: unreasonably and obstructively determined to persevere or prevail. So to answer the question in order to be in faith about something then yes, you have to get a little stubborn. Call me stubborn if you wish, but I’m not unreasonably determined. I have a reason to be so convinced. God told me it was so. He’s my reason! Be sure you’ve heard from God.

Be firmly determined on what God has spoken to you about. Be firmly fixed on what He has said and not what your emotions have tried to wage against you. Lean your entire personality on Him, because He knows what He’s doing more than what you can see. Remember stay consistent. Stay in the race. You’ll find yourself crossing that finish line before you know it, and in the end it’ll all be worth it. God loves you, keep trusting Him.

Here's a good youtube clip from Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, sometimes you just have to trust God to be there even when you don't see it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG5TSV6c68A