A Haunting Question....

Lately God has been talking to me about a few things... which is nothing new. I mean, He's always bringing things to my attention so that I continue to grow and mature, but I've had a constant nagging thought in my head for some time. And it's not my fault… really. It's Focus on the Family's fault! :)

Let me explain. A couple of months ago, our church College and Career group started watching Focus on the Family's "The Truth Project" - a set of 13 dvds (each an hour long) that deal with developing a Bible-based Christian worldview. We've watched the first 4 videos, but it is the first one that stays with me. The teacher on the dvds, Dr. Del Tackett, presented what he called a "haunting question":

"Do you really believe

that what you believe

is really real?"

Of course, any good little Christian instantly responds with a resounding "yes!". Of course, I really believe the Bible is true! Of course I really believe that God and everything about Him is true! Well, let me stop you for a moment and ask you,

"Do you really?"

Don't get me wrong, I am not by any means having a crisis of faith and doubting what I know to be true! I am however, asking us to pause and really search what's inside us and truly think about it. If we really believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God and that it is absolutely 100% true, why don't we act like it?

Why do we forget what His word says about sin and continue to live as though we're one with the world?

If we believe that Christ died so we could be free, why do we continue to wallow in bondage to our old lives?

If we truly believe that God's will for us is always best, why do we push against it and not completely surrender the moment He calls us?

If He said He would always be with us and never forsake us, why do we questions where He is in times of trouble?

If His Word states that every "good and perfect gift" comes from Him and that God does NOT tempt man (see James 1:12-14), why, when calamity and crisis and temptation strike, do we think God is causing it?

Why do we think that living in poverty is godly, when His Word makes it clear that God wants us blessed in every area of life?

If there is no possible temptation that can come against me that God cannot help me overcome, why do I succumb to the sin?

If God's Word says, "Do not Worry", "Do not Fear", why are we, as a Christian culture, consumed with them?

If we believe that the Word of God is true, why do we cut out the parts that we don't like?

If the Holy Spirit is a member of the Trinity and God (as a whole) is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, why don't we truly allow Him to move in our lives and churches? If we know that God is completely good and holy, why is that part of God scary?

If God's Word says He will provide for us, why do we immediately freak out when that unexpected bill comes in the mail?

If we truly believe that "With God all things are possible", why do we doubt His ability?

So how do we remedy this? How do we go from this flesh-minded mentality, which we all have, to where we know we're supposed to be - having the mind of Christ? How do we go from uncertainty to unshakable faith?

Now I know none of us are perfect and we all struggle with acting on and walking in God's Word. It is only through the process of spending time with God, through His Word, in prayer, in church, etc, that we grow into more mature believers, and as such, our faith grows too. As we spend more time with God, in His Word, in His Presence, we come to know that He is who He says He is.

He is to be fully trusted.

He is only Good.

He is Compassionate and Merciful and will always forgive us.

He desires only the best for us.

He protects us.

He is Holy.

He is Love.

He is Faithful.

He is All-Knowing, All-Powerful, and Ever-Present…. just to name a few.

The more we seek His face, the more we know Him and His glory, and the more our faith and dependency on Him grows, we get to the point where we can say that we absolutely "really believe that what we believe is really real!" because our lives and our walk with Christ will show it. The closer we walk with Him, the more we end up living like him, and then the doubts and fears in our hearts will begin to fade. I love 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, "¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. ¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." The more we see God, the more we become like Him. As we are changed into His image, it affects our countenance, our attitudes, our perspectives, our beliefs, our faith... our LIFE!

If we examine our own hearts and ask ourselves that "haunting question", I think we would all agree that there are some areas where we need to grow. I know I sure do! So let's take this as a challenge and let's press into the things of God with a renewed zeal! Let's seek the face of God and put Him first in our lives and let's see the changes He makes in us. Let's watch as our lives begin to truly reflect that we do really believe that what we believe is real, because we're living it!!!