Faith: You already have plenty of it!
Posted on May 1, 2007
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Religion is based on faith, science is based on fact. You must not have enough faith. Whatever your faith holds is right for you. These are the usual types of statements tossed about regarding faith. But what is faith and does it really matter where I put my faith?
Popular definitions of faith tend to suggest that it is a vague commodity that some people need and others who are more “scientific” and self-reliant don’t. Existential philosophers describe faith as a blind leap in the dark. A more accurate definition of faith is “complete confidence or trust.” (The Random House Dictionary). Faith and trust are virtually synonymous. Although many people do not consider themselves to be full of faith, they do recognize that they trust a variety of people and things to varying degrees. We trust people, we trust the physical laws of the universe, and we trust ourselves. The question is not do we have faith, but in what do I have faith? Faith is a commodity by which we live our lives every day; you can’t make decisions without it.
It has been said that faith is only as good as the object in which you place it. What if you were preparing for a trip and you boarded a plane where the pilot appeared to be drunk and the engines had black smoke pouring out of them? You could say that you had faith, despite these facts which point to the contrary, that you would have a safe flight. Although it wouldn’t be a safe bet. In this case the object of your faith was clearly not worthy of your trust. On the other hand, what if you asked a long time friend to deliver an important package for you? Because this is a person whom you know well and he has given you his word, you are confident that he will do as he has promised. This would be faith that is well placed. Life is lived by faith. As a matter of fact, you can’t live for a day without demonstrating faith numerous times.
If that is true, then the same principles of faith must apply to spiritual issues as they do to every other area of life. Faith, as it relates to spiritual questions, is also only as good as the object of that faith. Everyone has faith that relates to the ultimate questions about God, meaning in life and eternity. For example, even if you believe that there is no God, you are demonstrating faith (trust) in your own knowledge (however limited) about God. The question is not, do you have faith? The important questions are: how informed is your faith? And how trustworthy is the object of your faith?
All I am trying to do is identify several important truths about faith. First, we all have plenty of faith. Second, faith is only as good as the object in which you place it. Third, faith as it pertains to spiritual issues is no different from any other area. When faith is seen in this light, it is important to evaluate if your faith is informed and solid and then place it in an object worthy of your trust. After all there are no more significant questions than those that surround God, salvation, time, and eternity. For example, historic Christianity rests on the person of Jesus Christ and His ability to teach the truth and accomplish what He said He would do. If so, then He would be a worthy object of trust and faith. If not, then a person would be foolish to listen to Him. What is your faith based on?
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