Faith

Mark 11:23 (CSV): ‘Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.’

For 49 years, I tried doing things my way with very mixed results. I have since learnt to be happy and content in most circumstances. At my lowest point, a loud yet unspoken voice said that I would make a complete recovery. I just knew with complete certainty. The harder things got, the more I believed. It’s easy to have faith when everything is going well, but the real test comes when all around turns to dust. And these tests come in multiple forms, simultaneously, without respite. Weaknesses in our armour are quickly exposed, revealing unpleasant truths as to who we really are. Without my faith in God, it would have been impossible to have trod such an uncertain path with no way out. Faith forged through adversity produces resilience, endurance and the hope of a far better future.

Everyone comes to faith differently. I had an overwhelming supernatural experience at the worst time in my life. Therefore, my faith is based on personal experience and then finding evidence to support that experience. Even if there was no supporting evidence, I would still believe in God, because what happened to me was so undeniable. For those searching for faith, a decision eventually has to be made. Ultimately, everything we do requires an act of faith. When I am ill, I place my faith in the doctor, whom I assume is qualified and competent. When I catch a train, I assume that the driver isn’t drunk from the night before. And so, belief in God also requires a leap of faith, but not a leap of blind faith.