Finally, I conclude my non-academic series on personal empowerment, or becoming the best version of yourself with the only key that can be used as a runner to replace all the other keys: Faith. Through the power of faith, I trust that the Holy Spirit will stir your faith through this final article, and that you will receive a very personal message somewhere between these lines.
But before we dive in, I want to share with you a little of my experience while writing this series. As a believer, I really struggled to write about some of these keys; especially the ones about boundaries and self-esteem were very challenging for me.
Partly because they seem so worldly, so fleshly and selfish, but also because I’ve discovered that I had certain beliefs about those concepts that God in His grace and wisdom revealed to me. He is so faithful! I would never have been able to complete these articles if it hasn’t been for His guidance, every step of the way. And that is why I confidently believe there is a message for one special person in every article I wrote. So please, share and forward my blog to as many people as you feel comfortable with in order to reach that one person.
Scriptures About The Power of Faith
Now, let’s get back to the power of FAITH. I want to start by sharing six well-known scriptures on the definition, importance and healing power of faith:
Heb 11: 1 – 3: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation (divine approval). By faith [that is, with an inherent trust and enduring confidence in the power, wisdom and goodness of God] we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (An awesome definition!).
Eph 2: 8 – For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Love this one, just to keep us humble and grateful.)
2 Cor 5:7 – For we live by faith, and not by sight. (A tough, tough assignment indeed!!)
James 1:3 – Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. (Who likes tests, right? Yuck! But biblical ones have a divine purpose.)
James 1:6 – But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. (The consequence of a lack of / a wavering faith).
Rom 10: 10-11 – For with the heart a person believes [adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ] and so is justified [declared righteous, acceptable to God], and with the mouth he confesses [declares openly and speaks out freely his faith], and confirms [his] salvation. (Such a great biblical tip! When I openly confess my faith, it can be seen by others as an outward evidence of inward faith, but mostly it confirms that faith to myself. It’s as if I’m convincing or reminding myself of what God can do in a specific situation, or what He has already done for me! It works like a bomb!)
What I had to learn about the Power of FAITH:
Yes, faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it is not something we can work on to get better at, or something we need to do. It’s a free gift given to us to serve one another and to glorify God with. Yet, when we fail to accept our authentic selves, even when it comes to faith, we automatically compare ourselves and even this gift to others. Yes, we even compare our level of faith or spirituality to another. We look at other believers and think to ourselves: “Wow, look at his / her faith! God must be so pleased with that person; they must have received a double portion of the faith gift. I wish I was more like blah blah blah… I will never be like blah blah blah…” Sounds familiar? Well, I’m going to let you in on a little secret:
Faith is never about me, mine, yours, his or hers.
It’s always about the One that we have faith in.
Let me give you an analogy to explain what I mean: when I turn the key in the ignition of my car, I know beyond any doubt that it will start. Not because I turn the key perfectly, or because I’m a good driver, but because I know my car. It gets serviced regularly, the battery is new, and most importantly: it always starts first time. We have a reliable history to build on. So does my faith in my car tell you more about me, or more about my car? My car, of course! The same goes for our faith in God. It’s not because we are so spiritual, or such awesome believers, or living so much closer to God, but always because God is faithful and His track record is immaculate. The more we grow in our relationship with God, the better we get to know those characteristics, and the easier it becomes to trust Him. Eventually it can become another successful habit.
A Summary of Key#1 – Key#19:
If you have read all the previous articles, tried to follow and apply all the tips in your life, you might feel super empowered by now, OR you might be overwhelmed, exhausted, discouraged and ready to give up. If that is you, I want to remind you of the Good News: Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life (in abundance!) – John 14:6. If you believe in Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you can already be living the life in abundance, Hallelujah!! You don’t have to try nineteen other keys to unlock personal empowerment. In fact, since His Spirit lives inside you, you don’t even need to become the best version of yourself – you are becoming the best version of Jesus on the inside of you, because I am convinced and sure that He who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ – Phil 1:6.
Now you might think: “No, this can’t be the life in abundance. I have faith, I am a child of God, but still I merely survive from day to day. I struggle financially, I struggle with my relationships, I struggle with my health”, or whatever challenges you might be facing in your life right now. God never promised us a life without tribulations, in fact He guaranteed us hardships and trials (James 1: 2-4). But He did promise us His omnipresence and an abundance of wisdom, peace and joy to all those who ask Him. So when you feel like you’re not enjoying life in abundance right now, you might want to reconsider your perspective of ‘abundance’ and ‘prosperity’.
Be mindful that you are already enjoying Life in Abundance!
Although it might not feel like it.
Feeling far from God is only that: a feeling or emotion. It’s not the truth. If you confess Jesus as your Saviour and open up your heart to Him, He is close to you, His Holy Spirit lives within you. The 20-hour virtual online Transformation Coaching System™ that I use will align your feelings with this absolute truth. Once you drop your mental and emotional baggage (your sinful nature / flesh / soul), you will Travel Lightly through life and will instead be able to be led by the Spirit in every situation. God wants to have a relationship with YOU, but most of the time the soul (the mind, thoughts and emotions) prevents us from enjoying the intimacy and abundance He wants to shower on us. And 99% of the time we’re not even aware that it’s our own thoughts and emotions that are keeping us from the life in abundance. When the soul is taken care of, you will be able to surrender and [live your life] in the ways of the Spirit [guided by His power]. I urge you to read Rom 8:1-13 again that explains this in a Biblical manner.
Please don’t confuse what I’m going to say next with your salvation – (salvation is received by grace and faith in Jesus alone, and not by anything you need to do!)
My conclusion is this: for believers to be able to live the life in abundance here on earth that Jesus died for us to have, there are certain stuff we can do. James said works are not required for salvation, but they are a “symptom” of saving grace by faith. Stuff such as directing our minds (Col 3:2), being grateful, giving freely, serving others, forgiving trespasses and praying for our enemies (YIKES!!). Then there are stuff that only God can do, such as healing, bringing joyful peace and pretty much all the rest; thank you Jesus! These assignments that were given to us in the Word seem impossible, because our sinful nature will rebel against them once we set our minds on being obedient. But I’m convinced that they are possible, otherwise our Father would not have urged us to adhere to them. He will even help us by giving us the power to be successful. Of course there will be days that we fail horribly, but fortunately for us God sees our willing hearts, and His grace is new every morning. Tomorrow, I will just get up and start being obedient again.
Faith and Trust goes hand-in-hand (copied from the website, as I couldn’t have said it better, thank you!)
“Faith is inseparable from trust; it’s the confidence that God can and will do what He says in His Word. So we believe something to be true, and we also place our trust in it—we rely on it. Faith recognizes that a chair is designed to support the person who sits on it, and trust demonstrates the faith by actually sitting in the chair.
Faith without trust is not faith. Belief without reliance is empty. Many people believe certain facts about Jesus Christ, but knowing those facts to be true is not what the Bible means by “faith.” The biblical definition of faith requires trust in—a commitment to—the facts.
An example of the relationship between faith and trust is a trust-fall. You have faith that your friends will catch you even though your back is turned to them. You believe they will not let you hit the ground. The act of falling—as the name of the exercise implies—is trust. You demonstrate the faith you have in your friends. Trust in God is a core aspect of biblical faith.” (https://www.gotquestions.org/difference-faith-trust.html; Sept 2023)
Who better to use as an example than Abraham, the father of faith? He teaches us that faith does not only mean saying “yes” to God’s promises (a promise to have countless descendants, even though he was still childless at 100 years old), but also to say “yes” to His instructions ( to later sacrifice his only son, Isaac). Faith is giving up all certainty and trusting God.
When I look at faith and trust in this way, I understand what James meant when he said “faith without works is dead” – (James 2:17). To have faith, but never put it to the test (by my works) and to trust that God will remain faithful to His promises (in which I have faith), is to make faith about me; my faith. While faith is always about God – remember the car analogy?
Here’s another of my favourite analogies: having faith and trusting God is like doing life as a connect-the-dots art puzzle. You only see the next dot on your journey. You only need to move from one dot to the next. Sometimes the next dot will take you in an unknown, even terrifying direction that you didn’t anticipate. You don’t see the big picture yet, but you can get to know the awesome Creator of the artwork who is all-powerful, infinitely wise, eternally trustworthy and be in a relationship with God! You can trust Him completely, knowing that He has the perfect picture in store for you.
One day you will look at your picture from another perspective and its beauty and detail will take your breath away. It will all make sense then. But in the meantime, while you’re doing life, only keep on moving to the next dot. And trust and enjoy God’s creativity, faithfulness and protection.
When we learn to trust Him completely, to surrender, open up to Him and invite Him into every aspect of our lives, it’s then that we can “live, move and have our being in Him”! (Acts 17:28)
Contact me TODAY for a free 30 min online Session!
Curious about learning more about the power of faith? I am a certified Transformation Life Coach operating in Riebeek Kasteel, Western Cape of South Africa. I also do virtual online life coaching sessions, so no matter where you are situated, all you need is an internet connection, a mobile phone or computer, and a space where you can meet with me uninterruptedly once a week for two hours.
Follow me on Instagram or like my Facebook page.
REFERENCES:
https://www.gotquestions.org/difference-faith-trust.html
The Bible (AMP, AMPC, KJV)
