THEY SAY I HAVE NO FAITH
----- Original Message -----
From:
To: contato@caiofabio.com
Sent: Monday, May 07, 2007 10:58 AM
Subject: FÉ EM QUÊ? (FAITH IN WHAT?)
Pastor Caio,
I am in doubt about my faith. To put it simply: What should I have faith in?
I’m 32 years old and I grew up in the church. I always heard so many things, but all of them end up losing meaning. In the end, I don’t know just what I’m supposed to have faith in.
I’ll try to put it clearly. I have faith in the central truth of revelation: Jesus is the incarnate Word who saves me.
I have faith that Jesus is with me to the end of ages.
I have faith that my life is kept in and by Him, and that all things work together for my good.
I personally believe, based on the faith I have and affirmed above, that no matter what happens to me, in Christ everything is written and kept for my own good.
My doubts have to do with things I want in life as an individual being. Two co-workers and I are competing for a marketing management position in the company we are with. I’ve been working very hard for years to reach it, and never did anything harmful to anyone.
As I’m anxious and apprehensive, I talked to some Christian friends about it, and they questioned me, “Don’t you have faith?” I said I have faith in the God who shelters me, and that whatever happens to me will be for my own good. But they replied that it’s not quite like that, because if this is something I really want, and if I really have faith, I’ll get it.
They state this based on truths in which I believe too; for instance: Jesus said, “If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, Move from here to there. And it shall move. And nothing shall be impossible to you” 1 or “Whatever you may ask in My name, that I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son”. 2 There are plenty of similar examples.
I get doubtful because I might be trying to conceal my lack of faith with an airy talk that God knows what’s best for me.
Personally, I can’t feel sure that the position is mine—not that I don’t believe that God can do it, but I don’t know if it’s His best for me.
Isn’t faith “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see”? 3 I am neither certain nor sure. Does it mean I have no faith? I wonder if I do.
If you have already answered to something similar, would you please let me know the title so that I can read it?
Thank you very much!
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Reply:
Dear friend in Hope: Grace and Peace!
With your faith, you overcome everything: You overcome the victory of getting it (which is worse than the defeat as a temptation), you overcome not getting it, you overcome having, you overcome not having, you overcome hopelessness, and you overcome in hope, overcome in life, and overcome at death. You overcome.
This is the victory that overcomes the world: Our faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Through this faith you will always have life in His name, in a job or out of a job.
Have you ever seen any of the apostles base themselves on the words you quoted above and ask Jesus for a position of power among men? Have you ever seen Jesus guarantee that Peter would own the largest fishing company in Galilee? Have you ever seen Jesus say that His disciples would “use their faith” to fulfill whims or reach professional goals? Have you ever seen Jesus say that the one who has faith, even having no professional skills, would outdo the better-prepared professionals and always get the position he/she aspires?
It’s not about in what, but in Whom, when it comes to faith in Jesus.
The difference between your personal faith and your Job’s friend’s faith is that they believe they can win lollipops whereas you believe you can win life.
They believe in faith as a practical power to bring about—no matter whether or not it’s fair—what one wants and asks for. But you believe that if you trust in Jesus, you’ll never be elsewhere but where He places you, and you will never be where He doesn’t place you.
Your friends’ faith is humanly strong and powerful, but is not faith according to the Gospel. The faith that is according to the Gospel is in God, not accomplishments. They believe in faith. It’s the faith in faith itself. You don’t believe in faith. You believe in God. The faith in faith is like that, full of human goals like daring enterprise policies with a monopoly syndrome. But the faith you have is different: It’s faith in God, His love, His care, His best for you. So you do your very best at what’s up to you, in His care, in His best for you; then you just trust, commit it, rest, and go on… Whatever comes is good. What doesn’t come as imagined is good as well. Because in Him, in the trustfulness of His love, everything is good.
The one who has their tiny faith doesn’t have your faith. But the one whose faith is like yours has infinitely more than that dwarfish Kenneth-Haginist "name-it-and-claim-it" faith. You believe in the most; they believe in the least of faith. And mind you: Those who believe in the most also believe in the least, but those who believe in the least do not believe in the most.
Paul said that maturity in faith consists of knowing. Knowing how to be humiliated; knowing how to be honored; knowing how to have plenty; knowing how to be in need; knowing how to be praised; knowing how to live in detachment. So he says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” 4
Paul says that knowing how to be content in any and every circumstance is the sign of a true faith.
What about you? Will you exchange your faith for the feed served by Kenneth Hagin, not Jesus?
My friend, don’t give that foolishness a moment’s thought! Do what’s up to you with honesty, effort, and all competence. As for the rest, rest! Let the pagans worry about all these things, because you do know that your heavenly Father knows what you need, and He will give you everything according to your needs.
Just go on with the faith you’ve received and you will see, some time from now, who will be happy: You or your Herbalife faith friends.
Brother, it’s as simple as that!
There is faith in trustfulness. But there is no confidence at all in the restlessness that tries to pass itself off as faith.
We’re called to believe and rest according to all that you affirmed as essential. So, why believe in what’s not essential? After all, the essential is the wellspring of all things.
Do what you’re supposed to with no anxiety, and believe that in this way you’ll only be put where God places you.
A brotherly kiss to you!
In Him, Who didn’t move the Mount of Olives to the Mediterranean Sea although He said he could—but what for?
Caio
May 8, 2007
Lago Norte
Brasília, Brazil
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From the original: “ELES DIZEM QUE NÃO TENHO FÉ”
Translated by F. R. Castelo Branco | May 2007
1 Matthew 17:20 (MKJV)
2 John 14:13 (MKJV)
3 Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
4 Philippians 4:13 (MKJV)
