Considering answers to those faith-questions we all ask…
Tag: CHARACTER
Some of the most difficult words of Jesus for us to accept - believers or unbelievers - speak of blessing and gain through loss, weakness and failure. "Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 10:39). "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3); "... many who are first will be last, and the last first" (Matthew 19:30).
Where do our thoughts come from? Experts of all stripes who view the world from a totally naturalistic viewpoint insist that every thought is a production of the brain - a physical organ. Those of us who believe in something beyond the brain know there's more to the human mind than just meat, chemicals and electrical signals. I'll take that statement one step further: the "meat", the chemical interactions and the electrical signals are vital tools for our spirits to operate in a physical world.
How many of us look in the bathroom mirror with honesty? I must confess that I use it less and less as I get older: I don't need the added stress. No amount of makeup or facelift work will hide what's taking place over time on the outside! However, the reflection I do need every day of my life; the one we all need; the one which would actually improve over time were we to apply ourselves to its betterment; the one we almost all fail to seek, is the kind in which we examine our hearts and compare it to the word of our God. What are we really like inside?
One of the most powerful poisons to our faith and peace in the Lord is the way we perceive other people, or perhaps how they really are. I sometimes struggle with a deep and monstrous problem: the darkness of human nature all around me. How many claim that they don't go to church because of the hypocrisy there? And it's not just in the church but out of it, on our streets, in our workplaces, and unfortunately, even in our own homes.
Many millions of people around the world reject God or are disillusioned with Him, because He seems so far off. Where is He when you need Him? I have to confess to having that very thought myself from time to time, even though I normally consider myself to have a strong faith. If you claim that you never question God or doubt Him, I suspect you're being economical with the truth.
Fuel for Faith, Food for Thought 