2 Corinthians 5:7- For we walk by faith and not by sight.
As Christians, we want our Christianity to look good to others, so we put on the happy face while being torn from the floor up on the inside. With this type of behavior what we are really saying is, after all CHRIST has done for (us), the Least (we) can do is fake it for HIM (that’s a hard concept to swallow)
JESUS never said or represented that the Christian life was going to be (easy). JESUS used the phrase picking up your cross—-daily if we are going to follow HIM. To me that is a clear indication that life as a Christian might be a little unpleasant at times. Even in our FAITH in CHRIST we are going to have some tough times, trials and tribulations; that is why we should be constantly reminded of the cross and all that JESUS did for us. During our uncomfortable times and being caught up in our feelings we must stay in GOD’s word and begin to birth and develop mature FAITH. Believing and knowing that if GOD said it, HE WILL do it; HE will bring you through whatever you are going through. My sisters, something we need to do also is to have unmovable FAITH. (Trusting In and having faith in God can move Mountains).
James 1:2– James tells us to count it all joy when we fall into different temptations and trials; I can’t think of anyone that enjoys the trials of life. However, James tells us we should have pure, wholesome and complete joy in the midst of trials. He also encourages us to be joy-filled as we endure trials because of the benefits it can bring. Let’s be clear, James doesn’t say that we should be happy in the middle of tough times. He doesn’t expect us to be giddy in the face of dangerous situations, sickness and oppressive circumstances. But he does want us to realize that we can find joy in a situation from a spiritual perspective.
- Joy includes aspects of peace and tranquility because we know that GOD is ultimately in control.
- It’s an attitude of appreciation and thankfulness for GOD’s concern for us.
- It is assurance and expectation of an eventual outcome according to GOD’s plan.
James 1:3– Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
I am reminded of some of my trials and tribulations; In particular when my son was incarcerated for 18 months….. For a while I literally thought my life was over. I had an ache and a pain like I never experienced before, I prayed and asked God why me? Why me?
And HE said, why not you?
Believe me, at that time I wasn’t counting it all joy.
I would go to church on Sunday morning, go to the altar for prayer, go back home, get into bed in a fetal position, pull the covers over my head and continue to feel pain like never before, but I was saying, OH I AM TRUSTING IN THE LORD.
But was I really?
I remember one Sunday at church, one of the ladies of church came to me after services and she put her hand on my chin and said to me, “you said you trust in the LORD, then HOLD YOUR HEAD UP and WALK in the VICTORY; PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE. YOU MAY NOT FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE THE VICTORY NOW, BUT IT’S ON THE WAY.” Those words truly spoke to my spirit.
James 1:6– But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (with no doubting). For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed (like a billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed).
Have you ever been sea sick? When I read this scripture I am reminded of when I got sea sick. We were on vacation in Puerto Vallarta and we decided to go on tour to an island by boat, we would have lunch when we got to the island.
Half way there, I got extremely sick… I went below to the bathroom but that made it worse because below I could smell the fuel from the engine and I felt like I was in the wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed like a billowing surge out at sea, blowing hither and thither. I starting throwing up as I held my head/face in my hands I was said “LORD if you get me through this, I will never go on another boat tour such as this again.” In the bottom of the boat, there I was, tossed and driven by the wind (I was down there for a while). I started thinking to myself, why hasn’t my husband come down here to check on me? By that time I was so sick I was actually crying.
I finally made my way back on deck and as I was looking around, my husband was hanging over the deck just as sick as I was. My brother-in-law, and sister-in-law, had a color of green and sick also. Larry looked at me and said “when we get to the other side, we will get a cab to go back across the island. What we didn’t know at that time was that there was only one way to the island, and one way off the island, and that was by boat. That was not a good feeling and not the answer I wanted to hear.
And guess what was for Lunch on the island… FISH….
I told you all of that to tell you that
When we doubt GOD’s ability to do what HE says HE is going to do, when we don’t have faith and try to do things in our own power, when we are moving so fast and going about life by our own power, it can feel like we are being tossed by the waves of the sea and the wind. Yes, we go to church, hear the word of GOD, pray at home, go to work and go about our daily lives. But through our moving or traveling we get tossed into the wave of negative attitude, being misunderstood, and opening the door for the pink tornado (tongue) which often shows up, and we start speaking negatively.
Our faith begins to fade (tossed and driven).
God cannot lie—He must abide by His own word, so that faith must emerge. Whatever you’re going through, get a promise from GOD, hold it up before Him, tell GOD it is His promise you are standing on, tell GOD you believe it, tell GOD you are going to hold HIM to HIS word; then act and move in your faith walk. Walk in your faith, don’t walk in how you feel, nor how you are influenced by your environment/ or the negative people in your surroundings. Don’t be conquered by your circumstance—but walk victoriously with the promises of GOD beneath your feet and in your Heart. GOD will do the things HE has promised.
Ephesians 3:12 — In whom (Christ Jesus) we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. In spending time with GOD, we also come to the conclusion that not only do we have faith in Jesus Christ, but we need to have the faith of Jesus Christ.
(Paul) Galatians 2:20– I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh “I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Mark 14:36 –And He (JESUS), said “Abba, Father all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.
Jesus wasn’t just wrestling with the idea of going to the cross— we must remember Jesus was without sin and by going to the cross, he was not only taking on our sins but the sin of the whole world and become sin.
Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.
Everything Jesus faced in the hours and days after the garden of Gethsemane required a complete faith that the father would accept the sacrifice of His life on the cross, resurrect Him from death, defeat the enemy and unlock the gates of hell so that He might take captive what the Devil held captive. Jesus had Faith that the Father would fully restore Him to His position in heaven, seated at the Father’s right hand.
What did Jesus do? He walked through with Faith, He hung, bled and died on Calvary with Faith in the father.
I have not arrived, I am still praying for more faith…unmovable faith that will not waiver. I am striving to stand on His Promise that is written in His words. I will make mistakes and I may fall, but with GOD as my strength, I will get up and continue on in his promises while still moving in my FAITH WALK. I have a vision, I have written down my vision, now I am ready to run in it.
There is one thing we can count on with certainty when it comes to the faith of Jesus Christ: His is a tried and proven faith. He is perfect faith. And that faith is always within us to draw upon.
Bettina Anthony is an energetic, anointed woman of GOD that encourages others in their faith walk with GOD. She is a Women of Excellence Level 5 Teacher and she has faithfully ministered within this organization. Bettina is very active in several ministries in her local church in Rustburg VA. She completed studies at Amherst Theological Seminary and has conducted couples ministry bible sessions with her husband in their home.
