Faith and unbelief

Or should it be faith and lack of faith. Here is my perspective. First here is a picture of “What is it”.  And second image of the Same “What is it”.

This is just to say it is not about right or wrong but perspective, meaning what I have observed is only different.

 

An old saying comes to mind that was on a box of donuts when I was a boy, “No matter what your dream in life, no matter what your goal, as you ramble on through life, keep your eye upon the doughnut and not upon the hole.”

Stated differently, “If I have an empty pail and tell you to take all you want from it, how much can you take? In other words, I can’t give you nothing and you can’t take or receive nothing.

Years ago, in reading the verse, “… these signs shall follow ...” I got an unforgettable lesson by Holy Spirit. As I read these words HE asked simply, “Where are the signs? And are the signs the works of the hands?” After considering these questions I figured out the riddle. The signs are in the hands of Jesus and they are behind us if we embrace Jesus standing face to face looking Eye to Eye. This is confirmed in 1 Jn. 3:22 ‘whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.’ (Keeping his commandments in the New Testament I believe is better understood as words of promise or prophecy) But isn’t keeping his commandments pleasing to him so the key ingredient is “Pleasing in his sight” there is an Old Testament phrase that is equal to this, “the apple of his eye” which literally means, “To see the reflection of oneself in the pupil of another”.

Doubt or lack of faith is like focusing on the things that are behind us or as in the case of the donut the nothing; the part that is NOT there.  This is the same the lie in the garden, “God is holding out on you.”

Also, consider bone and muscle as an example of faith and works. You are born with bone and muscles but they need growth, development and training. These things all are ingredients of what is called process.  Even with growth, development and training, there is still a missing element: ‘focus or passion’. An Olympic athlete is born with bone and muscle but they achieve their goals (according to the internet) between 28-36 years old. It is not the bone or the muscle or the growth or the development or the training; it is all that plus passion, focus.

In the case of faith, we are all given ‘a measure’ but winning the prize, like an Olympic Marathon runner does not happen my “Magic” but by process and passion. In the case of faith, the passion is LOVE, Gal. 5:6. But what matters is a faith that expresses itself through (or by) love. So is there doubt because there is little love (just wondering)? But we have the answer to that 1 Cor 13:2, “If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing.” You can have faith without Love but it has no value it is NOTHING! You can walk in mighty works of faith without love if you want, but you end up with NOTHING, the hole.  This is like so many in life that are successful in their endeavors but fail at life.  Sports stars come to mind Tiger Woods, Aaron Hernández, Mike Tyson, and many, many more.

I feel God is more interested in us succeeding at Life rather than at “Doing” even signs and wonders, believing rather than signs. BUT also, I believe Faith is believing what we haven’t experienced yet in God and it is like bone and muscle it grows and matures and strengthens on the last experience or the knowledge of Him, the last sign the last wonder the last miracle.