Right Belief, Right Faith

When we want to move about from one place to another, the most common method we use is walking. We master the motions of walking early in life, and soon it becomes second nature. I learned how to walk so early in life that I cannot remember a time that I did not know how to walk. It’s simple and easy until something major happens (like a stroke), and it is no longer a natural thing.

According to 2 Corinthians 5:7, "We walk by faith, not by sight". Faith is the way that Christians move around in God. The only way we can get up and get where we are going spiritually is to walk by faith. Faith in God is indispensable to the Christian life. Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder to those who seek Him Hebrews 11:6.

Walking is slow and consistent movement. It is not something that we do when we are rushed or panicked. It is not stressful or physically tiring to our bodies, and it blends in with our practical day-to-day life.

It should be the same way with our faith walk. Walking by faith means that we function in daily life according to what we believe. If our faith is off, our walk will be off. If our walk is off, we need to look at what we believe. We must have right believing in order to have a right faith; otherwise we cannot enjoy a successful faith walk.

If we start our Christian walk believing in doctrines of works, superstition, and preaching laced with fear and guilt, eventually our life will get pretty rough. Every time we turn around, we will find ourselves in the midst of a struggle. We discover that what we thought was success, victory and fulfillment turned out to be a heavy backbreaking yoke. Eventually we have no choice but to look at what we believe.

Everybody has faith or believes in something. Therefore, we always walk by faith. People may not live what they profess, but they always live what they believe. The only difference between Christians and non-Christians is whom we believe in. Christians believe what the Word says, and that belief should have a major impact on the way they live (faith walk).

Once our basic needs (food, clothing and shelter) are met, we are motivated to live a successful life. We seek happiness, fulfillment, significance and fun. God didn’t call us to be unhappy, insignificant, sad and unfulfilled. He certainly doesn’t want us to be a failure. I believe that many individuals error because their sense of happiness and fulfillment is not the same as God’s. In other words, their believing is wrong.

From birth we learn what success and happiness is from the world system. Subconsciously we try to experience success the world’s way. When we come to God, we have to make adjustments. No matter how noble our plans are, how good our intentions, or how excellent our goals sound, if our plans are not in harmony with God’s goal for us, our believing is wrong.

Sometimes we can know that our believing is wrong by the emotions we feel. Let’s say that my goal is to have a problem free saved Christian family. That’s a good goal. Who can block my goal? The whole family. So if my sense of worth is tied to the goal I have set for a perfect family, then every time there is a problem, I’ll freak out and crash. I’ll be angry and moody, and may even drive my family away. The problem is that I have my success tied up in the wrong thing.

Our success cannot be tied to anything but God. My success in ministry is tied to my obedience to Christ. If thousands of people receive Christ, that’s fine. If a lot of support comes in, that’s fine. If I receive words of affirmation and encouragement, that’s fine. But my worth is not tied to any of those things. My goal is to walk in obedience to Jesus Christ, and that alone determines my success.

I want all my daughters to be saved and active in ministry with me. But my sense of worth as a minister and a father is not based on that. I can only do so much, and then it is beyond my control. The most frustrating and depressing task we can undertake is to try and achieve something that is beyond our control. We can’t save anyone, so we live out our faith and leave the results to God. I have planted, Apollos watereth; but God gave the increase 1 Corinthians 3:6.

Have you ever seen people who try to control others? Their sense of worth is tied to other people. This is wrong believing. The most insecure people are the manipulative control freaks. They would prefer that you fail than to succeed apart from them.

Listen, if God has a goal for you, it cannot be blocked by anyone. God had an impossible goal for Mary, that she would have a son while still a virgin. When Mary inquired about it, the angel told her that nothing was impossible with God.

A godly goal is God’s purpose for our life that is not dependent on people or circumstances beyond our ability or right to control. The only person you control is you; therefore you are the only one who can block your goals.

Many of us confuse godly goals with godly desires. A godly desire depends on others. I may have a desire for a certain event to be a success. No matter how good the event is, do not place your worth in a desire. We can have desires that get blocked or that we are not sure about. Because life doesn’t always go our way, we can have many desires that go unmet. We must keep desires on the right level. A desire is not a goal because a desire depends on people.

God has both goals and desires. It is not God’s desire that any should perish, but that all people would receive salvation (see 1 Timothy 2:4). Yet countless thousands perish without salvation. God has a goal that Jesus is going to return and take us to heaven to be with Him forever. He has a goal that Satan be cast into the lake of fire. These are goals, and they are going to happen.

I have a desire that many people be saved through my efforts, but I cannot guarantee that. But my goal is to be the preacher that God wants me to be. If no one ever gets saved, I can still be the preacher that God wants me to be. I desire for all my kids to be saved, but if they rebel, that’s not blocking my goal.

Nothing on planet earth can stop us from being the person God wants us to be. Sure, there will be distractions, diversions, disappointments, trials, temptations and disruptions. Everyday we will wrestle with the flesh, and with spirits that oppose us. Yet none of these things can stop us from being the person God wants us to be.

Is your believing right? Believing doesn’t make God’s Word true, it is already true. That’s why we can believe it. If God’s Word didn’t say it, no amount of believing will make it true. When we really believe God, we will live like it.