I hope and pray that you week is God Filled…today we are going to go DEEP – are you ready?
If you grasp this – it will change your Faith & Life! It’s so simple but life changing.
What is the bottom line in your Christian Faith?
Have you ever asked yourself the question – What does God want me to do? I have numerous times. Our churches ask us the same question. Some churches tell us that God wants us to pray for an hour a day (first thing in the morning), attend every morning church, increase your tithe, attend weekly home group, feed the poor, vote conservative, adopt an orphan, visit the sick with a meal ..and the list goes on. These are all good things, right?
But what’s the bottom line- what does God really want from all of us?
People asked Jesus the same question in John 6.
“”We want to perform God’s works too. What should we do?”
“Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:28-29
Jesus didn’t tell them to pray and fast, feed the poor, donate all their worldly goods, pray for people’s healing, attend 3 services a week. He gave them the bottom line – BELIEVE in Jesus.
This got me thinking…does what we believe determine everything? What we truly believe in our minds and hearts is that what is shown in our life?
Here’s the bottom line – God wants our believing more than our doing.
Doesn’t that statement take away the pressure of measuring up in your faith?
Breathe a sigh of relief – all He is asking is for us to believe.
Simple Faith…just like Simple Prayer (a natural conversation with God) has no pressure to perform.
Simple Faith is daily believing in everything that Jesus has said and done.
This Simple Faith will flavour our thoughts, decisions and emotions.
- f we truly believed in God’s deep love for us….any fearful thoughts would be cast away (1 John 4:18)
- If we deeply believed that God is our provider, that He is enough…we would regularly pass our worries over to God (and not take them back!) (Phil 4:6-7)
- If we believed that God knows our every needs – even the smallest tiniest ones – then we would not be asking the questions – What shall we eat? What shall we wear? (Matt 6:25-34)
- If we passionately believed that Jesus is gentle and not harsh, critical and judgemental with us …we would gladly take His way of doing things (yoke), drop our burdens, and find our soul rest – everyday! (Matt 11:28-30)
- If we absolutely believed that God is with us wherever we go…we would be super courageous people, never in discouragement but living a strong life despite the circumstances. (Joshua 1:9)
- If we truly believed that God never leaves us or gives us up…we would be free from loving money, free to be content with our lives. (Hebrews 13:5)
- If you really believed that every bad situation that lands in your lap will be turned into something good by God…then you will stay hopeful and positive. (Romans 8:28)
Oh I could go on with many more – If we only believe…then we would be..
You know, this bottom line of believing is not only found in our faith but life in general…
What is the bottom line in your life?…..it’s tied to what you believe!
- If you believed that you could lose weight ….you would take steps to eat just enough calories to meet your body’s energy requirements, right?
- If you believed that certain events that happen to you are permanent, that you will always be in the same state…then you will stay depressed. But if you believed that everything on earth is temporary – ah the relief – you can say, with confidence, This too shall pass.
- If you believed the good, positive traits in people..then you would become more loving and forgiving to those around you.Those annoying little habits will no longer drive you up the wall!
- If you believed that you are capable of learning new skills…you won’t feel stuck in your current work situation and you would feel like the world is full of opportunities.
So the question we need to now ask is…how do we change our beliefs?
Beliefs are basically decisions or choices that we make.
We can decide and choose to believe something different. You can decide right now to believe that …God loves me no matter what or who is in my life so I have no basis for fearing anything.
The secret to making a permanent change in beliefs is to keep making the decision to change. So remind yourself tomorrow morning, when you wake up – I have decided that no matter what happens in my life – God loves me and He is always with me. I have decided that I am capable of losing weight, being a friendly person, learning new things….
Decisions/choices = Thoughts.
Examine your thoughts – are they helpful and good? or are they creating damage in your life?
” For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7
FEEDBACK – if this resonated with you, I would LOVE to hear! What limiting beliefs fill your thoughts? What changes in your beliefs are you going to choose to make today? Just comment below and let me know how this has helped you.
Keep leaning into Him!
Rachel Larkin
Leave a Reply