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A while back, I had done a post on faith and I want to
readdress the topic because it is something that is vital in my life. I want to
write about faith because of how far it has taken me in my life and hope that
you can tap into your faith more and see where it takes you.
In my previous post on faith I had started off defining what exactly faith means, and I used the standard dictionary definition, which explains it best. It says:
“Faith is complete trust or confidence in something or someone”
ALTERNATIVE DEFINITION.
Book of Hebrews 11:1 version: “ Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen, it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”
Clearly faith is that which we cannot see but hope for. I'll tell you a story. I had been dreaming of getting into one of the top educational institutions in the world since I was 16. I had planned out so much of my life, from where I wanted to go and what I wanted to study. I planned and planned to the point that I never considered option B, if things didn't go my way.
The bitter reality is that sometimes life sets us on a different path, far from what we planned for and it sucks because it isn’t what we hoped for, especially when we are certain that we always have it all figured out. But the truth is, we are on that different path simply because the time we seek probably isn’t the right time.
Anyway I ended up on a completely different path from what I wanted, (simply I didn’t end up at the University I wanted at first) but instead of letting what I didn’t get consume me, I just embraced the reality of everything and let that unexpected path show me something new. I found myself growing into this new person and my perspective on a lot of things changed. The things I had tolerated started to appear so trivial to me. Obviously it took a while, but I eventually found myself. Most importantly, I was surrounded by an amazing group of people and my relationship with God grew from my experiences and the people I encountered. The different path I found myself in, (which I initially resented because it wasn’t what I wanted), actually prepared me for bigger opportunities ahead and pushed me to work harder for what I’ve always wanted.
One thing I always had was faith. Even when the odds were against me. So how did I do it? I'll tell you the truth, yes I may have worked hard but at the end of the day, there is a limit to what you can achieve solely on human capacity. I put all my faith in God and never doubted what I wanted was impossible. I told myself that if God could bring me this far, then God helping me solve bigger challenges surely must be like playing scrabble to Him. In other words, all the things we see as a challenge are in actual fact always solvable to God.
My faith brought me to a place where I didn't base my chances of success simply on what was said on paper, but by what I felt in my spirit. If the paper said I couldn’t achieve “A” for instance, I didn’t let that determine my outcome. I know it sounds crazy but I just did my part, worked like a mad woman and put all my faith and strength in God, while never doubting Him and in the end it paid off. I finally got what I wanted, (acceptance into my dream University at a Masters level). I got the dream, but at a different time, which I appreciate and now see that it is the perfect time; Gods timing and not mine.
I am not just writing about faith to tell you how it has been a great influence in my life. But I'm writing to encourage you to always have faith. I've realised it is the key to giving you strength when everything seems impossible. It is the only thing that gives you that incentive to push harder even when people say you will never get there. It is the key to connecting with God because the whole idea of Jesus/God/Holy Spirit is simply by having faith. At the end of the day, our understanding of God is not by empirical evidence, but it is based on faith, which is what builds that connection.
A great example of faith to me is the story of the bleeding woman in the bible. It was by faith that the bleeding woman touched the robe of Jesus and she was healed. She heard all about Jesus and the miracles and said to herself “If I can touch his robe I’ll be made well.” This woman’s faith was on a whole different level as she believed that simply touching His robe will cure her illness, and voila she was cured. Jesus realised and said to her “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be free from your affliction.” The story is actually much deeper than what I’ve explained. If you get the chance, read it to get the whole idea. (Mark 5:25-34)
So today I dare you to challenge yourself, say no to discouraging people and negative facts. I am not saying there is anything wrong with being "realistic" but sometimes jump out of that comfort zone and take a leap of faith! Remember the whole idea of faith is spiritual not just a mental process. You get the faith not by hoping alone but by praying and having utter reliance on God. I know it can be really difficult to get that connection, trust me I am always there in and out. But when you get to that point where faith is just a dominant factor in all aspects of your life...Nobody can take that away from you because it is priceless.
“ Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.” (Colossians 3: 15-17)
p.s Apologies I have not blogged in soo long. I promise I'll try to be more consistent!
Stay Inspired,
Love Zephia
In my previous post on faith I had started off defining what exactly faith means, and I used the standard dictionary definition, which explains it best. It says:
“Faith is complete trust or confidence in something or someone”
ALTERNATIVE DEFINITION.
Book of Hebrews 11:1 version: “ Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen, it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”
Clearly faith is that which we cannot see but hope for. I'll tell you a story. I had been dreaming of getting into one of the top educational institutions in the world since I was 16. I had planned out so much of my life, from where I wanted to go and what I wanted to study. I planned and planned to the point that I never considered option B, if things didn't go my way.
The bitter reality is that sometimes life sets us on a different path, far from what we planned for and it sucks because it isn’t what we hoped for, especially when we are certain that we always have it all figured out. But the truth is, we are on that different path simply because the time we seek probably isn’t the right time.
Anyway I ended up on a completely different path from what I wanted, (simply I didn’t end up at the University I wanted at first) but instead of letting what I didn’t get consume me, I just embraced the reality of everything and let that unexpected path show me something new. I found myself growing into this new person and my perspective on a lot of things changed. The things I had tolerated started to appear so trivial to me. Obviously it took a while, but I eventually found myself. Most importantly, I was surrounded by an amazing group of people and my relationship with God grew from my experiences and the people I encountered. The different path I found myself in, (which I initially resented because it wasn’t what I wanted), actually prepared me for bigger opportunities ahead and pushed me to work harder for what I’ve always wanted.
One thing I always had was faith. Even when the odds were against me. So how did I do it? I'll tell you the truth, yes I may have worked hard but at the end of the day, there is a limit to what you can achieve solely on human capacity. I put all my faith in God and never doubted what I wanted was impossible. I told myself that if God could bring me this far, then God helping me solve bigger challenges surely must be like playing scrabble to Him. In other words, all the things we see as a challenge are in actual fact always solvable to God.
My faith brought me to a place where I didn't base my chances of success simply on what was said on paper, but by what I felt in my spirit. If the paper said I couldn’t achieve “A” for instance, I didn’t let that determine my outcome. I know it sounds crazy but I just did my part, worked like a mad woman and put all my faith and strength in God, while never doubting Him and in the end it paid off. I finally got what I wanted, (acceptance into my dream University at a Masters level). I got the dream, but at a different time, which I appreciate and now see that it is the perfect time; Gods timing and not mine.
I am not just writing about faith to tell you how it has been a great influence in my life. But I'm writing to encourage you to always have faith. I've realised it is the key to giving you strength when everything seems impossible. It is the only thing that gives you that incentive to push harder even when people say you will never get there. It is the key to connecting with God because the whole idea of Jesus/God/Holy Spirit is simply by having faith. At the end of the day, our understanding of God is not by empirical evidence, but it is based on faith, which is what builds that connection.
A great example of faith to me is the story of the bleeding woman in the bible. It was by faith that the bleeding woman touched the robe of Jesus and she was healed. She heard all about Jesus and the miracles and said to herself “If I can touch his robe I’ll be made well.” This woman’s faith was on a whole different level as she believed that simply touching His robe will cure her illness, and voila she was cured. Jesus realised and said to her “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be free from your affliction.” The story is actually much deeper than what I’ve explained. If you get the chance, read it to get the whole idea. (Mark 5:25-34)
So today I dare you to challenge yourself, say no to discouraging people and negative facts. I am not saying there is anything wrong with being "realistic" but sometimes jump out of that comfort zone and take a leap of faith! Remember the whole idea of faith is spiritual not just a mental process. You get the faith not by hoping alone but by praying and having utter reliance on God. I know it can be really difficult to get that connection, trust me I am always there in and out. But when you get to that point where faith is just a dominant factor in all aspects of your life...Nobody can take that away from you because it is priceless.
“ Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.” (Colossians 3: 15-17)
p.s Apologies I have not blogged in soo long. I promise I'll try to be more consistent!
Stay Inspired,
Love Zephia
Wow! I'm inspired!!! Thanks Gorgeous, keep them coming.
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