Operate In Faith
Faith is often the connecting bridge between where you are and where God wants you to be. You will only go as far as you believe. This was displayed in Matthew 14: 28 - 31 when Jesus came to the disciples walking on water. Let's take a look at the Good News Bible Translation of this verse: Then Peter spoke up. “Lord, if it is really you, order me to come out on the water to you.” “Come!” answered Jesus. So Peter got out of the boat and started walking on the water to Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he was afraid and started to sink down in the water. “Save me, Lord!” he cried. At once Jesus reached out and grabbed hold of him and said, “How little faith you have! Why did you doubt?” When you operate in fear, you are more prone to failure. This is why we have to operate and move in Faith at all times!
Faith can be defined as having complete trust or confidence in someone or something. We should always walk by faith because of the one we have faith in. The word complete stuck out to me after reading this definition. Some of us operate in faith when it's convenient, but move in fear when the odds are stacked against us. I recently watched the Mississippi State Women's Basketball Team upset and defeat the University of Connecticut. Coming into this game, the University of Connecticut Women's team won 111 games in a row, and defeated Mississippi State by sixty points in the 2016 NCAA Tournament. The Lady Bulldogs could've easily approached this game in fear after losing by a large deficit last year and facing a team that hasn't lost a game since 2014, but they didn't. They approached and played this game with complete confidence. When you have God on your side, you always have a chance to win but you have to believe it before it happens. If there's something on your heart, trust God and go for it in complete faith. If you've been thinking about going back to school, pray on it and start looking into potential schools to attend. You may have a lot of "What If" scenarios cross your mind, "What if I can't afford it?" "What if I don't have time?" God wouldn't place this on your heart if he didn't have the ability to help you pay for it or make time for it. When we operate in fear, we lose sight of this and begin to doubt ourselves and what God placed on our heart. We have to realize that we are what we believe. If you think you're going to fail, you increase your chance of falling similar to Peter walking on water. If you have complete faith in what you're pursuing and the God you serve, you increase your chances to succeed. When you operate in faith, anything is possible. You may not see a way, but God does or he wouldn't place certain things on your heart. Remember that we can only see things as they currently are, while God can see what's ahead of us. This goes back to trusting God's plan for our life. He planned out your entire life, and anything that occurs today or tomorrow doesn't interfere with the plan or path he created for you. Even if you face adversity, he's already included that in your plan. So embrace it! It's unexpected to you, but not to God. This is the reason why we have to operate in Faith despite our circumstances or inabilities. God knows exactly what you need and when you need it. Whatever you lack, God can provide it! God knows what your strengths are as well as your weaknesses. The good news is that despite your flaws, God can still use you to accomplish great things, but only if we believe it. The Mississippi State Women's basketball lost four games this year, and has a chance to win their first ever national championship. Their coach (Vic Schaefer) said the following after defeating the University of Connecticut, "We believe in our locker room that it would be done." Don't get discouraged by previous failures or having the odds stacked against you. This is the perfect opportunity for God to demonstrate who he is, and what you can do through him!
