Blog 2079 – 06.04.2021

The Importance Of Faith

As a disclaimer, let me state that this is an opinion piece and if your opinion differs on the matter of faith as I expect it might that I do not consider myself to have the last, best, or only word on the subject. People can be adamant about their long held beliefs and even wars, a great many of then, have been and are still fought over religious beliefs. Lay down you arms we are not going to fight those untenable battles here.

As important as it is to believe, there are two other things that the Apostle Paul, author of the love chapter, First Corinthians Chapter Thirteen, names in his trinity of important things: Faith, Hope, and Love. Today I would for just a few minutes like to say something about faith.

We all, hard as some of us might try to deny it believe in something. One has only to listen to another or even themselves for a few minutes to discern what is truly believed by the speaker. Part of my daily mantra is a slight rewording of a verse from Proverbs. My version goes, “May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in my sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.” I merely changed the “thy” to “my” in my rendition, to remind me that it is really up to me what I accept and what I believe. By our words, which are mostly if not entirely outward expressions of the meditations of our hearts, we form the world around us and bring it into into focus. The creator should be able always to look upon his or her creation and say, “It is good.”

We believe many things, even those who claim most fiercely to be non-believers. Racing along at the posted speed limit how often to we stop going up a hill or even slow down to first be sure that the road builders continued the road construction on the side of the hill which we are unable yet to see? We have faith in the road builders that they would have put up signage to warn us if the road were not completed ahead. We have faith in a lot of things. Our problem is not so much a lack of faith as it is holding onto beliefs that once served us but no longer and being stubbornly unwilling to modify them or let them go. I believe it is as important to stay open to new beliefs as it is to discard old beliefs that have ceased to serve us. And I know religious beliefs are very difficult for many to change, modify, or let go of. Changing our minds about even little things is not easy for most of us, but it is impossible to grow or progress if we do not accept change. The expressions, “I’m too old for this” is a silly and stupid expression and I heard myself say it just yesterday, but I take it back. I am not too old to experience a change heart, a change of mind, a change of jobs, for I can indeed do all things, for that is just Who I am, Who we all are.

There are so many faith groups, and sadly they all seem to think and behave like theirs is the only true and correct one, all the others being not quite right in some belief or practice. I recall a phrase I heard from a song that we sang in church when I was a boy, “Only believe, only believe, all things are possible only believe.”

Tomorrow I will write a few words about Hope, saving Love for Sunday’s blog. Have a little faith but make sure it serves you and not imprisons you.

Your friend and fellow traveler,

David White

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5UGucaz8iwNTmhvWWZFM0FsaE0/view?usp=drivesdk

Broken Vow