Monday, April 23, 2007

FAITH CHECK

Over time, we encounter questions in our walk with God that would either make us stumble in disbelief or simply build us up with more faith. I was thinking of FAITH yesterday because I was actually being suggested of being too much of a Christian "TALIBAN", paranoid of following even the simplest commands in the Bible. For a second there, I felt shaken, was almost into tears actually. Then thought, ano ba talaga dapat ang sundin ko. Is it God's Word or is it what other people think of me? For a good three minutes, I froze and tried to take a hold of myself. Good thing God can always change the situation and later on the attention was swayed to something else. There I was left into a daze, pounding my brain cells whether I should quit and just live life as I want to and therefore not be called a TALIBAN or anything even close to it. Throughout the rest of the day, nag-iisip lang talaga ako and I kept asking God to enlighten me, to comfort me, and I just sang in my head, worshipping Him.

Just before Sunday Service, we were on our way to church and it hit me. I will not let anything shake my faith. I will not let anyone tell me who I am or how I am supposed to act. Then came some other encouraging thoughts and convictions to help me improve as a person. Pastor Robert's preaching on the lives of Paul and Silas helped me overcome the dissuasion that haunted me earlier in the day. The goal is to please God, to praise Him in good or in bad, to magnify Him when troubles beset us. The goal is to FOCUS on Him no matter what. When bad things happen, answer this, "How will we respond?".

Perhaps what happened was, God allowed some pretty good jolting to strengthen me in my Christian faith. It's almost like taking sides. Are you in or are you out? Sa pula, sa puti? Deal or no deal? I sure don't want to fail and I sure don't want to make the wrong decision. Faith in Him and what Jesus did on the cross for me is my foundation. Now I need to even dig my heels in, more than before, to be sure that nothing can discourage me in my walk with the Lord.

- 1 John 5: 4 "For everone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our FAITH."
- Proverbs 4: 13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.
- Proverbs 3: 5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

No comments: