Faith to Faith

What does it mean to go from faith to faith? This question hit me a couple of different ways.

One being that faith is a decision. You decide if you are going to have faith in something. You decide if you are going to rely on God’s word and promise. We don’t have to have faith. Of course, having faith makes things much easier because you are no longer relying on your strength or wisdom to bring something to pass. This is a good thing because if I had to rely on myself, I would be in a bad way. I can’t rely on myself to inhale and exhale. Imagine if I had to rely on myself for salvation? What if I ‘forgot’ to be saved one day and that turned out to be my last day.

Another way this hit me is faith is a function of knowing and believing something you haven’t yet seen or received. One way that this affects me is that I have faith that one day, I will be a mother. Now, this has been a rocky path for me but for me, exercising that faith has been to speak that ‘yes I will be a mother. Yes I am a mother’. I will have three beautiful and healthy children and God has even given me their full names. You know what helps me ‘remember’ to have faith? A combination of their initials is my user name for a program that I use. Every time I type it, it is an unconscious reminder that it will come to pass. I believe in a promise that I have from God even though I have not seen it.

The other way that this thought hits me is God’s grace is renewed every day. No matter the measure of grace that was given to us the previous day, it is new with each day. It is not re-used or recycled. It is fresh-off-the-shelf new. God doesn’t give us an allotted amount per month and if you hit it early you’re out of luck. His grace is new every single day. Imagine if we chose to have faith this way. What if we woke up each morning and consciously said, ‘Ok, yesterday was rough. The doctor said this or my paycheck ran out too soon. My child was disobedient or my spouse and I had yet another fight but you know what that was yesterday’s battle. I have renewed faith today that I am healed, God will make a way, my child will not be a lost cause, my spouse and I will be together for another 100 years and we will be happy and a blessing to others. My health won’t fade, I won’t lose my job, my child will be a productive part of society and the kingdom of God, my marriage will be a success and a testament to God’s grace and blessing in our union.’

Choose to renew your faith every day. Choose not to operate on day old faith. Don’t let the enemy sneak in a rib shot to your faith. Hit him with a one-two combo. 1) I know who and whose I am. 2) I am more than an over-comer, I am victorious.

Mini Me

As birthdays come and go, sometimes we lose sight of our inner child.  The person that loves to laugh and giggle and splash in little water puddles.  Where is your inner child?  

Don't lose that person within you that loves to have fun.  The child that looks in the sky and finds puppies and flowers and dragons in the clouds.  Don't lose that child-like wonder when you see new things or when you look at old things in a new way.

Fall in love with your inner child again.  Embrace that innocence and joy.  Relish the melody of your laughter.

Grace

‘Where would I be, if not for your grace carrying me in every season?  Where would I be if not for your grace? You came to my rescue and I want to thank you for your grace.’  These are the opening words to Israel Houghton’s song ‘If Not for Your Grace’ from ‘A Deeper Level: Live’.

Have you ever stopped to ponder where you would be without God’s grace?

This song is actually my alarm tone in the morning and everyday it makes me stop and thank God for where I am.  It makes me realize that I am not here because of anything that I have done or said, I am here because of God’s grace and because He has kept me here, He has things for me to do and by His grace I am able to do them.

When I think about that question my answer is an easy and quick one.  For a quick second, let’s imagine an interview between you and me.

You:  MzWilz, where would you be right now without God’s grace in your life?

Me: You know, that is a great question that deserves a great answer.  Dead.

You: Excuse me?

Me: I would be dead.

I know that’s not what some imagined transpiring but that is the honest answer, no smoke, no mirrors, no frilly words to make it sound or look better.  Just the honest, bare-bones truth.

If it had not been for God’s grace in my life, I would be dead. 

For many years I was suicidal and got closer to the edge of taking my own life than I would care to admit but each time, it was God’s grace that saved me and it was God’s grace that showed me that I am more valuable and treasured than I could ever imagine.  It was God’s grace that showed me that I do have a purpose and that He has called me to serve others and that my voice is needed and that by taking my own life, I would be dishonoring Him.

Never underestimate the power of God’s grace.

The song later says ‘Grace that restores, grace that redeems, grace that releases me to worship, grace that repairs visions and dreams, grace that releases miracles’.

Recognize God’s grace in your life and thank Him for it and never forget that you are where you are in life and you are who you are by His grace.  We might not be everything that we would like to be but we are works in progress because we are ever striving to become more like Him.

What has grace done for you lately?