I googled "what does believe mean to you?" Googles response was "to have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of something, although without absolute proof that one is right in doing so: Only if one believes in something can one act purposefully."
I liked what google said "the existence of something, although without absolute proof". The majority of people have to have "absolute proof" of something. They need to see it broken down to the last equation.
It is because of "absolute proof" why some can not accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Through reading the Bible and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in my life, I believe in Jesus Christ. Have I ever met Jesus Christ? No, I have not met Him personally in the flesh, but through His word, I feel as if He is my best friend and that I know Him.
Have you ever read a book and the character is so real that you begin to personally feel you know them? That is what happens when you read the Bible. The characters come alive.
It always amazes me when I read about Thomas, one of the disciples. He was known as "Doubting Thomas" Thomas expressed, probably what the other disciples and other believers wanted to say. After Jesus was resurrected and some of the disciples saw him, they ran to Thomas to tell him. What did Thomas say to the disciples? He said "unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it". Thomas was still loyal to Jesus and the disciples, but he wanted proof. His doubting led him to ask more questions and the questions/answers helped Thomas to understand and to believe about Jesus.
Doubting is good. It is when we allow doubting to make us more stubborn or hard-headed that we begin to lose our faith. Allow doubting to make you stronger in your faith.
Isaiah 43:10 says "You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he."
God wants us to believe, to accept and to share our faith with others so that they can begin to allow Jesus in their life. Remember that you may be the only Jesus that some may ever see. Our beliefs, our life, our walk is what others see and hear.
About a month ago, I was on a cruise and one evening there was the spectacular sunset. Looking onto the ocean and seeing the horizon lit up in orange and the yellow sun sinking into the dark blue sea reminded me how powerful that God is. I may not see God or Jesus in the flesh, but I know they live because of my surroundings. Creation is my absolute proof!
2 comments:
I believe in God and Karma
I fought that same battle with a young atheist many moons ago. I tried to tell him, "What good does it do you to have a god you can always understand?" He sent me articles about how "faith is just an illusion created when experience causes the release of certain chemicals in the brain." I would say, "Use your logic to try and imagine- IF Christianity was true, what ways would Satan use to get you to NOT believe?" He ran with the typical 'Santa Claus and Easter Bunny' garbage.
Anyone who doesn't believe God is real should have been with me last night as I worked ahead on my "G is for Gideon" post (coming out all the way up on the 17th). You can't fake what God gives.
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