A Lost Valuable
Have you ever lost something valuable? Most of us have one time or another misplaced a valuable item or lost an article and you just couldn’t find it. We search all around the house or vehicle, between the couch cushions, in the far reaches of the clothes closet, all to no avail. We may even start to retrace our steps or actions just before realizing that the valuable item became “lost”, with the hope of finding the lost article where we had left it. In fact, the older I get, the harder it seems for me to find those “lost” items.
But finding lost items has progressed a bit in today’s “smart” world. We now have applications for the cell phone and tablets that can help us find those lost items a little easier. The registered IT device gets a “ping” through the airwaves to show the location of the device. Or sometimes, I’ll have my wife call my cellphone to help me locate where I last placed it. Sometimes I believe I’d be lost without my smartphone because it’s so much “smarter” than me. LOL
In life, however, one of the most important aspects, trying to find or restore one’s faith in God, is the most valuable of all.
Levels of Faith
How would you describe your level of faith in God; strong, weak, or mediocre? Maybe you’re undecided. Is your level of faith similar to what Jesus describes in the Parable of the Sower and the Seed in Matthew 13:1-23? In other words, is your faith shallow to where anything can come along and cause undercurrents to detach or distract you, and have it snatched away from you like a thief in the night.
Or is your faith strong and deep, built on a solid foundation of Truth and Spirit, so like the sea, regardless of what turmoil may be occurring on the surface, the underwater flow of life is undisturbed. The very depth of the sea, or your being, remains calm and peaceful, not reactionary.
Questioning Faith
It’s really not uncommon to question your faith in God during your journey this side of heaven. As we all know, life happens. Your faith may have been on “auto pilot” for so long that you took it for granted and never had reason to question it until an event occurred that “rocked” your world. When the situation and circumstances changed for the worse, your faith in God was lost. Cracks in the faith foundation you once had started appearing out of nowhere. “What just happened? Where am I? And where am I going?” are three very important questions to ask at that moment. Do you trust your own judgment for taking the next step and the step after that to get back on track? Who do you rely on for guidance?
Your answers to those questions and the choices you make will have lasting consequences that will impact your life and the lives of other people from that moment going forward.
Going Back to Go Forward
So how do you find the valuable faith in God that you once had, but now lost? Wouldn’t it be cool if you could just push the button on your cellphone application to “find my lost faith”? But, unfortunately, it’s not that simple or easy, is it? Nope. But it could be almost that simple if you turn back to God for help.
I offer that to find the faith that “once was lost, but now am found”, you must go back to the fundamentals from where you started your journey of faith in God.
In revisiting your origins of faith, rekindle your thirst for the Word and Truth by reading the Bible or listening to Bible-based sermons from a trusted pastor or teacher.
Faith with Action
Commit to working harder and take the necessary actions to strengthen your faith in God. Listen for His guidance and if you do, your faith will be restored. For as the Bible passage in James 2: 17-18 explains, “faith without work is dead”. You must take the action to find and restore your lost faith because the rewards are everlasting.
Have confidence in yourself and in your God who loves you. Put your faith to work and accomplish what God intends for you to do with your life. Maturing your faith in God will increase the peace for your soul. Your life will have direction.
Remember to love God with your whole heart, your whole mind, your whole soul, and your whole strength. Leave the past behind and keep moving forward in service to the Lord. God will take care of the rest, for He will never abandon or forsake you. His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
You will surely find that you never needed a smartphone app to find your lost faith after all. All you had to do was just look inside your heart and soul; it was there all along.
Live, Learn and Grow in Jesus.
Blessings,
Jerry
