Faithless Walk, Prideful Heart

Recently I was walking with a good friend on the Jacksonville Beach shoreline and talking about how faith must have room in our walk with God. As believers, we sling around the word ‘faith’ so much we at times forget what it even means. Worse, we don’t apply it in our relationship with our heavenly Father. Faith has become a derogatory word in the eyes of this world because the only time they hear it is during church tithes and offerings, television evangelist fundraisers, mission-letter mailings, and books and DVDs on how to become healthy, wealthy, and prosperous. Jesus did not give us the concept of faith to use it as manipulation but to apply it in the smallest to the largest life decisions. We must walk in the faith of the Holy Spirit again!

No Room For Faith
Our comfortable lifestyle has squeezed out the opportunity for faith to be a center position in our lives. We as the Church have fallen asleep to the great exploits God wants us to accomplish. But how can we act on them when all we want is money, fame, riches, stock portfolios, sex-driven appetites, porn inflamed minds, and a greedy heart of making my life and my family prosperous? Where is our heart for God and our thirst for the moving of the Holy Spirit? Is it really about us living well and going to Sunday service once a week? God is moved by faith in His people yet we want nothing to do with faith. Why? We have no control of our circumstances. We plant our life strategies to leverage the best possible outcome for MY life. Where, Church, has our God cause gone?

The Bible says in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Another translation says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” When faith is present in our hearts we continue to trust God in all circumstances of our lives including the big and small things God is calling you to do. I often repeat Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.” The faith-inspired words written in the Holy Bible must be permanently written in our hearts and minds. They will direct, guide, and encourage us to continue to walk by faith with God. This world we live in wants nothing to do with the concept of faith. They want things immediately, they want to do it on their own power, and they want to be praised for it. It doesn't work like that with God.

The Bible clearly teaches us in Hebrews 11:6 a very vivid picture of how to please God. I want to share a few translations so we all understand that we must have faith in what we do for God to be pleased: 

                “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”(NIV)
                “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” (NLT)
                “But without faith it is impossible to please him. For he that draws near to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them who seek him out.” (DBT)

Faith is the key to stirring God’s heart. His desire is for us to search Him out, walk out the plans of God not seeing the evidence of them first. Jesus asked the Father to send the Holy Spirit so He can be our Counselor, Helper, and Comforter. Let’s counsel with the Holy Ghost for His faith building principles within us. We must walk by faith.

Hard Questions
Let me ask some hard questions that possibly the Holy Spirit is trying to ask you yet you are too busy for Him.
                Is Jesus Christ your salvation, your life, your passion or just your security blanket?

If faith is our calling, what have you put aside or disregarded because it was too big for you to personally handle? Is it possible God wants to exercise your faith and give Him all the glory?

Do you find yourself drawing wisdom from people yet have no room for personal time with the Lord? Are you too busy for conversations with God but block out your time to meet with “important people”?

Has the Holy Spirit been asking you to do something, talk to someone, start something but you have been pushing it away?

If we live like everyone else in this world, why do we need God then? Is it to make us happy and babysit our sins? Is it to tell me I am going to heaven and yet live a prideful life? We have no testimony if we are not walking by faith.

Pride Controls Our Heart
Despite our disagreements and debates about faith, there is a division that happens either we like it or we don’t.  If we do not live by faith in the son of God Jesus Christ, we live by pride. We live in a time where saying the hard truth is not politically correct in churches. I am not even talking about the world anymore. We want people telling us how wonderful everything is when in reality Christians are losing their God given strength by being soothed by “Delilah”. We want the pleasures of sexual sins, lusting after women, talking about their bodies, greedy for business position and power, talking with curse words and evil speech, talking about how many great things we have. It’s all hidden in the heart. The immorality that is happening inside Christian hearts is worse than we see on TV. We mask it so well and love to have these tombs washed and shined yet present dead man bones of life inside. Church its time to ask the Holy Spirit to restore us! Pride never wants to let go of control, not in our life, not in our ministry, not in the churches. We ask ourselves where is the power of God? Yet we secretly sit and lust after this world. What is it going to take for the Church of Jesus Christ to wake up from this slumber party and get to work in the fields of God!

God is Mercy and Grace
Despite our shortcomings and lack of diligence God is still gracious and merciful to us. He will still accept you, affirm you, love you, and shape you to be a faith builder in the kingdom of God. We have grace that surpasses our logical understand over our lives. We do not deserve the love of God but He still loves us. We fail Him so many times yet He still pursues us! God is LOVE! He wants His Church in the power of the Holy Spirit not in the pride of life. Friends, ask God to fill your daily walk to be one of faith. God is wanting His people with a resounding testimony of the love and power of Jesus Christ!

Remember dear friend, “being confident in this, that He who has started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)