*~FAITH~*

What really is faith. A quick web search brought me this definition. Lets talk about it...

faith -- (fth)n.1. Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.

Last year around this time i had one of the biggest adrenaline rushes of my life. I agreed to go with a bunch of friends down south to a little city called Eloy. Even though i said it was little, there was one huge thing in it. It was the number one skydiving capitol in the Nation. That’s pretty much the only reason anyone even came to this little town. To be completely honest I don’t even know if it can be balled a town, because there is only 2 or 3 total streets in the entire area! Anyways, after 15 minutes of schooling, we got strapped in and boarded a plane. At this point, i have no idea how to sky dive. I know you have to pull some string thing so the parachute comes out. Then you land softly on the ground, some how steering yourself with some pulley’s. I was ready to sky dive!!!! Not... I was terrified out of my mind. But i remember one thing my friend told me, "Have FAITH in your instructor, they will take care of everything for you." You see, the first time you go you have to be strapped to an expert. These guys have jumped thousands of times out of planes. Some even ten thousands of times. So they really know what they are doing. But still, I was scared they might forget something, or they might try and be cool and show off. And then something would go terribly wrong! But I had to have faith in them. And so did everyone one else that has ever gone skydiving. And that’s what I want to talk about.


EVERYONE HAS FAITH
Im reading this amazing book right now by Rob Bell. Its called Velvet Elvis and its getting more popular in the Christian community everyday. In the first chapter he talks about faith and makes some amazing points that I really feel I need to share with whoever reads my blog! So most of this stuff im going to be talking about is coming from him....

I realized that day that everyone that goes sky diving for the first time has to have faith in their instructor, or else no one would ever go. I had faith, my friends all had faith, and the people there i had never seen before in my life had faith. How do i know that...?? Because there is no one in the world that would jump out of a plane 13,000 feet in the air, strapped to a person who is suppose to get them to the ground safe and unharmed, without having faith in them. When it comes to faith, everyone has it. Some people might try to say that they don’t have faith in anything, because its just too hard for them. But like Rob Bell puts it, "Everybody has faith. Everybody is following somebody.

Here is a great example of this. Lets say there is a person who believes in the creation story. Everything that happens in Genesis. And they believe that God has plans and a purpose for everyone in this world. While at the same time, someone believes that there is no reason for life. That we evolved from monkeys and when we die nothing is going to happen. This is not and argument between a person of faith and a person without faith. Because these are both faith perspectives. They are just built on a system of different BELIEFS.


Rob Bell says, "an atheist is a person of tremendous belief." When we talk about the things that matter the most, we aren’t talking about faith or no faith, belief or no belief. We are talking about faith in what? Belief in what? He says,"the real question isn't whether we have it or not, but what we put in it.

This last little sentence really started to get me to think. You see, everyone follows somebody. There isn't a soul out there who isn't influenced by a person, or a thing. We make decisions every second that effect our lives in dramatic ways. All these decisions start with out beliefs. And those beliefs had to come from somewhere. We all have been formed by different people, places, and things. Weather it be our parents, teachers, advertisements, science, mentors, friends... we are taking all this information and living our lives by it. Because its what we believe.
Some people even try to say that they are following themselves. That they don’t follow a person or a religion. But they got that perspective from someone else. They got that idea from somebody.


BELIEVERS
This is where it really hits home with me. And i hope that you feel the same way. Now that you understand that everyone has faith, we need to decide for ourselves what we are going to have faith in. This is one of the greatest things God could ever give us, and almost everyone on the earth overlooks it. Its called free will. Because we can believe in whatever we want. People just get blinded by the world and the possesions inside of it. If everyone was smart, they would live the best possible life they could. Because it would bring them the most happiness. Let me give you and example. I as a christian am trying to live a life just as Jesus has taught me to. I believe that this is the best possible way for me to live. Rob Bell really puts it into blunt truth with these next few sentences. He says....

Im convinced being generous is a better way to live.

Im convinced forgiving people and not carrying around bitterness is a better way to live.

Im convinced having compassion is a better way to live.

Im convinced pursuing peace in every situation is a better way to live.

Im convinced listening to the wisdom of others is a better way to live.

Im convinced being honest with people is a better way to live.

I believe in everything that he is talking about. And who wouldn't. Really take a second to read over these few sentences and ask yourself, what is wrong with anyone of these. I promise you there is nothing you will come up with. And you know how i know it. Because this is what we were made for. God created us to love, and to live a life like his son Jesus did. See, when you start to live a life like Jesus did, you start to realize something. As time goes on you see yourself living more "in tune" with reality. You are more in sync with the universe and everything that is going on with it. In other words, life is easier. God is amazing. There is nothing beyond God. I know you have beliefs and faith in something. And if you didnt know it, then now you do. So take that next step and find out what you believe in, and what you have faith in. And Jesus will be there waiting for you, showing you the next step.

I want to leave you with a verse on of my good friends shared with me the other day. THANKS VERSE BUDDY!!!

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
- Romans 8:38-39

Follow Jesus, and you will understand the Love of our God.

Lord, how mysterious you are. You have the ability to control and force every one of us lord, because we are your creation. But through your Love for us God, you have given us free will; the ability to choose our beliefs and our faith. I praise you God for what you have given me, and I worship your name every second of my life. Even though my praise is unworthy, I give my life to you day after day, because you are worthy. I pray God that my words will touch someone out there that needs them. I pray God that you are able to open the eyes of the hearts of all the people in the world God; so that they may see your majesty. Lord words fall short trying to explain who you are and what you do God. That is why I live like Jesus. And that is why I LIVE LOUD. God give me the courage not to use words, but to use actions to show people the glory of your kingdom. Give me your love lord, because I choose to have faith in you. I choose to believe in you God, because you believe in me. In your precious name,

Amen