Journey of Faith
It has been quite a long journey to get to where we are at. The book began by stating that contentment exists outside of our circumstances. Discontentment happens no matter what circumstances we are in whether rich or poor, married or single, old or young. The next few chapters discussed areas where we need contentment, our circumstances, our selves, our roles and our relationships. The last three chapters dealt with the three roadblocks of contentment, greed, having the wrong focus, and worry. Dillow (2007) shifts direction and discusses the opposite of worry, faith.
Dillow quotes the familiar verse from Hebrews 11 that defines faith:
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen"
Like Dillow, I think to myself, what exactly does that mean. I mean it sounds nice. What does it mean to be sure of what we hope for? What kinds of things can we hope for that we can be sure about? How can we have conviction of things we cannot see? I am sure others have a list of other questions. It is a rather abstract and unclear promise.
Dillow helps uss out with the definition:
"In the early 1900s, scholars uncovered thousands of letters, receipts, and other documents from a two-thousand-year-old Greek colony. This word assurance appeared many times. Literally translated it means "title deed." A title deed is something we own." (p. 142)
To better understand faith, Dillow uses the classic illustration of the man on the tightrope who walks across with a dog in a wheelbarrow across Niagara Falls. He does this successfully once and then asks the crowd who wants to get in the wheelbarrow. We applaud the man who does this successfully with the dog, but volunteering ourselves to be pushed requires a lot of faith. The greater the task, the greater the faith. In this case, our lives are on the line at the mercy of a stranger. The illustration shows the difference between intellectual faith and wholehearted faith. We know the man can get the job done in our minds, but wholehearted faith means raising our hand to be that volunteer.
God urges us to trust Him:
"God does not demand that you and I have blind faith, but abandoned faith, a faith that trusts Him fully. Through His Word, God willingly reveals much about who He is, what His plans are, and what He requires of us. As we come to see Him and know Him, He urges, "Trust Me." Hundreds of times in the Bible God implores us to trust Him." (p. 143)
Dillow states two important things. 1. Faith is rooted in God's character, and faith is based on God's word and not our feelings. (p. 143)
She goes on later to quote Psalm 18, verse 2. These are some amazing statements about who God is and that He is trustworthy.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (PS 18:2).
Dillow makes a statement about God that shatters the grip of doubt.
"How much easier to get in when we're confident that the One we entrust ourselves to is in control, is wise, and cares deeply for us. (p. 145).
Dillow's prayer is the prayer I have for myself. My internship situation is still not clear, I have 200 hours to fulfill, and a tiny light of hope. I am trusting God to provide where I cannot.
"God, you know my feelings are going haywire; they scream and shout that this situation is terrible and that there is no hope. God, I hope in You. I can't see what You are doing, but 1 trust that You're working this situation together for good. Thank You that You have promised to use it to make me more like Christ. This is what I want ¦- it just doesn't feel good today. Give me the strength to focus my eyes on You and not on what I can see." (p. 148).
Make My Life A Prayer
Make my life a prayer to you
I wanna do what you want me to
No empty words and no white lies
No token prayers no compromise
I wanna shine the light you gave
Thru your son you sent to save us
From ourselves and our despair
It comforts me to know you're really there
Chorus
Well I wann thank you know
For being patient with me
Oh it's so hard to see
When my eyes are on me
I guess I'll have to trus
And just believe what you say
Oh you're coming again
[Make My Life a Prayer
I wanna die and let you give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope you gave me
The love that set me free
I wanna tell the world out there
You're not some fable or fairy tale
That I've made up inside my head
You're God the son and you've risen from the dead
Chorus
I wanna die and let you give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope you gave me
The love that set me free
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