It is in times of testing that faith’s reality and relevance are brought more sharply into our thinking. It should be noted that this world’s way of thinking is, and always has been in conflict with the message of faith. To the people of faith, the Bible says: “Do not love the world or the things of the world…and the world is passing away…but he who does the will of god abides forever.” I John 2:15-17. Faith holds an eternal outlook on life while the world’s view is temporary. Faith sees life as dependent upon and submitted to God. It sees Him as Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer. The world’s view is that there are may or may not be a God, and if there is, He is mostly irrelevant. Jesus said that many refuse to come to faith in Him because they prefer darkness over light. There is an unwillingness to admit their true condition and acknowledge the need for help that is beyond their own power.
For the believer, the reality of faith rests on the power of God. It requires recognition and admission that we are powerless to effect our own salvation. Furthermore faith requires humility. The psalmist says it plainly: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, these God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:17
Faith finds fuller relevance when we are dealing with issues in life that we cannot understand. It allows us to humbly submit our limited understanding to His unlimited knowledge of all things. Looking through the eyes of faith allows us to see things through the lens of eternity. Such relevant faith is expressed in these words from St. Paul: “So we don’t look at the troubles we see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be see. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” II Corinthians 4:18NLT