You use faith more each day than you realize. Indeed, it’s worth looking at some steps to strong faith.
So, did you –
Sit in a chair today?- Drive your car?
- Eat lunch?
Well, did you trust your –
- Chair would hold you?
- Car could get you where you need to go?
- Body would energize and promote health from your lunch?
Interestingly, you trusted all this – and so much more – would happen.
Dictionary Definitions
First, let’s define faith. Most dictionaries say things like:
- Belief and loyalty to God.
- Belief in traditional doctrines and the Scriptures.
- Firm belief in something for which there is no proof.
- Complete trust in a process.
Why Strengthen Your Faith?
Obviously, unless you have some secret magical power, you absolutely need faith to be a successful Jesus follower.
Consider: There’s God’s reality . . . and there’s your reality. Incidentally, one is reality. However, the other is your best interpretation (at best) or a fantasy world you wish was your reality (at worst).
Indeed, God’s reality is very different from people’s. Unless you’ve matched your reality with God’s –
- You’re living in less than God’s best for you.
- Plus, your longings aren’t being fulfilled in a lasting manner.
- Additionally, the world is missing the impact of your life.
Frankly, I recommend – choose God’s reality.
Problems
Yes, there are “issues” choosing God’s reality.
- First, He’s invisible. Actually, that’s a big deal for many people.
- Second, how do you really know what His reality is?
- Third, can He truly be trusted – with your life and future?
- Fourth, what about your own hopes and dreams?
To choose God’s reality comes down to a huge step of faith. Incidentally, it can be an informed step.
To overcome “issues” of faith, simply make choices.
- First, choose the invisible God.
- Second, adopt His reality, knowing He’ll steer you forward.
- Third, decide to trust Him with everything.
- Fourth, embrace that God cares about your hopes and dreams.
Those are things you can do. And they are great starting points.
Know God
To know God, you need faith. Realistically, there’s no other way. Heb. 11:6 says, “. . . without faith it is impossible to please God . . .”
Simply put, to be the healthy person God designed, believe Him. Subsequently, that’s when His reality becomes your reality. Plus, you get to know God.
So,
- Step out.
- Reach back to God.
- Get to know Him.
- Additionally, discover He rewards those who trust and obey Him.
- Of course, this means take risks. Indeed, it’s a safer risk than sitting in your chair, driving your car, or eating lunch!
Incidentally, you’ll never personally know God can be trusted if you don’t reach back to Him.
There is no other reality. You can’t change “what is.” Why not live in the real world?
Steps To Strong Faith
Scripture says, “The righteous will live by faith.” (Gal. 3:11) So, let’s explore steps to strong faith.
- Simply start. Pursue God back. = Faith.
- Take responsibility for your needs and dreams as you conform them to God’s Word! = Strong Faith.
- Deliberately focus on encouraging others in their faith in God. = Influential Faith.
- Additionally, God cares about global relationships and creation. So, adopt God’s love for people, world-wide, and His intentions for His creation. = Global Faith.
- Change from your reality to God’s reality in every detail of life. = Bold Faith.
Now, let’s explore each of these.
1. Faith
The first step to accomplish a healthy shift of realities is to pursue God back. Incidentally, as you pursue Him completely, He will –
Teach.- Convict.
- Encourage.
- Mold your perspective to match His.
- Re-direct and guide you.
- Nurture your inner life.
- Bring balance to your whole life.
Further, as you practice contentment in Him, He will make your life purpose a reality.
All this builds faith.
2. Strong Faith
Step two is to take responsibility for your needs and dreams. Interestingly, you can train your life choices. Equally, you can pro-actively participate in uprooting desires not pleasing to God.
Of course, by God’s design, you have –
- Needs that must be met.
- A mind to solve problems.
- A will to act.
Thankfully, God wants to help you with each of these.
Therefore, become an active partner with Him. Train your heart to trust God to meet every need and fulfill your dreams as He knows is best for you. Plus, discover fresh creativity in solving problems.
This builds strong faith.
3. Influential Faith
With complete dependence on God, step three affects your relationships. Through daily decisions and priorities, dependence on Christ opens the doors to involvement in your relationships –
- Family.
- Friends.
- Work comrades.
- Community.
- Missions.
Also, as you discover, develop, and engage your spiritual gifts, you can better pour into others.
This builds influential faith.
4. Global Faith
God cares about global relationships. Plus, He loves His creation. His investment is in peoples around the world – all cultures, languages, and nations.
Incidentally, He’s also highly invested in the care of His creation.
Step four means – adopt God’s love for people. Plus, honor His intentions for His creation.
This builds global faith.
5. Bold Faith
Step five changes you from the heart out. Have you ever felt a tiny embarrassment about God or His ways? Wondering about His plan not being popular, His methods and priorities seem outdated, His gospel no longer relevant?
If you ever find yourself in these places, you need an “overhaul.” This “re-do” enables you to manage your perceptions and responses toward life.
Yes, God’s plan has power to overcome issues of faith –
- First, He empowers you to choose the invisible God.
- Second, He assures your decision to adopt His reality, knowing He’ll guide you forward.
- Third, God is pleased as you decide to trust Him with everything.
- Fourth, God blesses you for adopting the truth that He, indeed, cares about your hopes and dreams.
As you get radical about God’s reality, this builds bold faith.
Beachhead
Critically, you must establish a beachhead.
A beachhead is an area on a hostile shore that marines occupy to secure further landing of troops and supplies. Or, it could be establishing a foothold.
God wants you to develop a strong beachhead in your heart and mind. Further, He promises to keep your life shores and borders secure and protected. However, they are compromised when you don’t remain in God’s reality.
For example, little compromises seem harmless at first. But, uncorrected, an invasion takes you by surprise.
You Can Lose A Beachhead
Did you know you can lose a beachhead? Maybe you already have. So, ask yourself – “How and when did I lose my beachhead territory?”
Often, it’s a subtle thing.
- Too much energy and time living near the edge of what’s right.
- Not enough energy and time trusting and obeying God.
- Skipping time in His Word and prayer.
- Too high a priority on money, success, power of some kind.
- Wanting dreams to look as you picture them.
Yes, it takes hard work to establish and hold a beachhead. Always, it boils down to your choices. God blesses choices that honor Him.
You were created to rule and manage your life. Strategically, hold your beachhead!
Boundaries
God lovingly sets boundaries for you. He doesn’t force you to stay in them.
Sadly, it’s a day of invasion when God finally says, “OK. Have it your way!”
Then, in subtle decline, you find yourself doing things you would otherwise never have done.
Most people never choose to immediately be this kind of person. The decline is slow, empowered by choices outside God’s reality.
Remember: You can’t change “what is.”
Good News
Good news! God is full of love and grace. He’ll help you establish – or re-establish your beachhead.
The territory of your heart and mind belong to God. He will recover it if you partner with Him.
Regaining lost territory is His specialty. He is fearless to spearhead into enemy ranks on your behalf, shredding the entrenched enemy hold. He is merciless to the enemy. But to you, He is full of mercy.
So, if you’ve lost your beachhead, re-commit steps to strong faith.
Faith Reaches Out
Remarkably, God intends to bless your influence in this world. Interestingly, small, simple, practical, courageous investments in God’s reality gives you power that reaches farther than you suspect.
The world is missing the impact of your life if you don’t function in God’s reality.
Application Thoughts And Questions
- Are you trusting God and getting to know Him better each day?
- Where are you in the five steps to strong faith?
-
- Faith.
- Strong faith.
- Influential faith.
- Global faith.
- Bold faith.
-
- Have you established a beachhead in God? Have you ever lost a beachhead?
- Finally, what are you doing to get radical about God’s reality?
* Portions of this content come from my book – It’s Your Move – a devotional book that takes you through Romans and powerfully challenges you to live with perspective and purpose. You can find this book in our bookstore: www.aliveandactivelife.org/store.
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