The third part of the four-part series, in which the author
examines what it means to walk by faith and not by sight.
The Implications of this walk for here and now.
Most of us are seeking direction for our lives, and are influenced by
the things that are seen. We want to know the purpose God has
created us for, so that we can live a purposeful and fulfilling life.
We desire to discern what the future holds. We also want to know
how God will answer our prayers and how He will solve our
problems. We want a life of education, employment, wealth, honor,
splendor, fame, praise, power, for the objects which this world can
furnish, and as if there were nothing which is unseen, or as if we
ought not to be influenced by the things which are unseen. All
these ways seem right to us, they all seem to lead to satisfaction,
but is this really so?
Furthermore, we have come to the mindset that “Money answereth
all things” And because we can see money and the attendant
pleasures it yields, but we cannot see God, we “walk by sight”. But
the problem is that the pursuit of wealth eventually becomes an
obsession, a god -Matthew 6:24 “You Cannot Serve God and
Riches”. “Therefore put to death your members which are on the
earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and
covetousness, which is idolatry (Colossians 3:5).
We should also not forget that the only constant in our material
world is change. Nothing stays the same, so there is no guarantee
that the wealth you have today will be there tomorrow. This is why
Paul told Timothy to “ Command those who are rich in this
present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches” -1
Timothy 6:17, a trust which “plunges men into ruin and
destruction” (1 Timothy 6:9).
Trust in God requires humility; as the proud and successful person
feels that his material wealth and accomplishments come from his
own efforts alone. When one is at the zenith of his or her success,
we feel little need to trust in God. A big mistake!
As the quest for the material things of life preoccupy our minds
and influence our actions, we “walk by sight” and this walk leads to
our being stressed out, overwhelmed, anxious and separated from
God.
Those who “walk by faith,” however, handle this world’s goods with
contentment. They realize that God has promised to supply our
material needs if we have the faith to seek first the kingdom of God
and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33) in our lives.
The
apostle Paul is a good illustration of this principle. He says, “I have
learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am” because “I
can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians
4:11b, 13).
Furthermore, we would not be so preoccupied with our material
well being if we take note of what Jesus said to his disciples at the
Last Supper – Jesus’ first words are “Let not your hearts be
troubled” – John 14: 1
As most of us find it difficult to take the advice Jesus gave, that we
should not let our hearts be troubled, we choose to “walk by sight.”
How do we resolve that conflict so that we walk by faith and not by
sight? Jesus’ answer is simple: “Have faith in God and faith in
Me.” John 14:1 If we trust in God, He will guide us through all the
difficult situations in our lives to the place in Heaven that He has
“prepared for us” once our earthly journey is over.
We should do all in our power not to be deceived by sight. Christ
said in Matthew 21:21-22, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have
faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to
the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and
be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 And whatever things you
ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
1 John 5:14-15 says “This is the confidence we have in
approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his
will, he hears us. [15] And if we know that he hears us —
whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of him.”
Jesus our help in ages past, our help for years to come “is the
same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
Faith! Faith! Faith! What is Faith!? St. Paul defines Faith precisely
in the book of Hebrews – Heb.11-1 “Now faith is the substance
of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This
verse is unequivocal that faith is a reality. It is our faith that
substantiates things for us. That is to say, it gives “substance” to
things before they become visible to the naked eye. The first step to
walking by faith is believing that something will come to pass,
regardless of what we might see right now.
We all have faith, after all, is it not an act of faith that we live our
lives. We have faith in a great many things we do not see or
understand- for instance air, words we hear, electricity, electronic
waves? Yes, we cannot understand, see, hear or touch these things.
Faith gives reality to things we cannot see, feel, hear or touch.
God is unseen; but we have to live, think and acts as if there were a
God, and as if we see him. The Holy Spirit is unseen; but we have
to live, and act as if there were such a Spirit. Heaven is unseen; but
we have to live, and think, and act as if there were a heaven, and as
if we have seen its glories.
Could man see all these; were they visible to the naked eye as they
are to the eye of faith, no one would doubt the propriety of living
and acting with reference to them.