The Deep Seated Nature of Faith

For a long time, I have been puzzled by the verse, ‘everything that does not come from faith is sin.’

(Romans 14: 23) I thought of faith as trust in God I require for the forgiveness of sins, big decisions, impossible situations, life challenges and so on. Not something I needed for my everyday mundane life. But this verse seems to suggest that the presence or absence of faith affects everything that we do, not just the big and scary things.

But on a day-to-day practical level, what does it really mean? Everything that we think, decide, or act stems from a place of belief or unbelief, even the seemingly straightforward decisions. For instance, a family member provoked you and you decided not to react. On the surface though it might look like you are a calm person, it stems from a belief system or faith in what is good. Because of that belief system, that is, (it is better not to engage with provocation) you chose to be unmoved. Or in another instance, someone hurt you and you chose revenge. If you look deep into it, what does it reveal? Your response shows what you believe about justice.

However, if you had decided to forgive because the scripture says, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:44,45) Or “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” (Romans 12: 19), it shows that your faith is in God to give you justice.

Faith or the lack of faith is deep-seated in who we are, and it directs our reactions, behavior and decisions. In other words, faith in God or faith in ourselves is a deeper reality that influences how we live. If we look at how we treat people, manage finances, and take critical decisions, it reveals what we believe about these aspects of life.

We can either look at God as a larger reality that we tap into for bigger decisions, or as Romans 14: 23 says, we can do everything from a place of faith. The former depends on one's own strength, knowledge and lived experiences to navigate life, but the latter requires leaning on the word of God.

This is why the Bible says, ‘be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.’ (Romans 12: 2) When we spend time in God’s word, it helps us to build faith in different aspects of God. We become acquainted by his ways and it then changes the way we approach life and becomes our sounding board. We see this eloquently displayed across people of faith in the Bible, be it David, Moses, Daniel. These individuals had a lifestyle of interacting with the Word and spending time in prayer, which enabled them to anchor in the nature of God. It eventually helped them to respond courageously when faced with difficult decisions.

As you go through life this month, my prayer is that everything you do will originate from a place of faith in God; and God’s goodness will be your sounding board. God bless!

Daya thinks it’s absolutely cool to be known by Jesus. She deeply appreciates nature, art and silence. Her dream is to fall in love with Jesus and humanity every day. Daya can be reached at dayaraja95@gmail.com