How many times in your life have you said, “This is the year it’s going to be different?” Outside of your infant years, you likely said one version of that or another every year of your life. Me too!
Think about the things that you want different in your life: your health, your finances, your relationships, your marriage, your career.
What’s missing to keep those changes from happening? What do you need in order for all of that to come true?
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What if I told you that the answer is FAITH?
Have you ever thought that a lack of faith was the reason your goals haven’t been reached, the changes you want have not been achieved?
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The lack of faith is often behind our quitting, stopping short or giving up on a goal or change. We don’t accomplish what we set out to change because the changes we want are not immediate. And because we can’t see that it will eventually happen, we quit.
Allow me to offer an example: You’re in debt. You have $10,000 unpaid on a credit card. It’s killing you. Crushing your spirit. Eclipsing your joy.
So, you determine to start saving a little bit from every pay check, in order to pay more than the minimum each month on that bill.
You also decide there’s an area or two where you can trim spending. And then you begin.
A whole month passes with discipline and sacrifice and it’s a little challenging, but you want your debt reduced. YOU ARE DOING ALL THE RIGHT THINGS.
Then, that bill comes in the mail. You are enthused. You know you are going to pay extra on the debt. You make the regular payment and then you add a couple hundred dollars extra.
And then…you consider what you have accomplished after thirty days of saving and sacrifice. All you see is the $10,000 (after interest is added) dropping to $9,750. And you think, “This isn’t working. This is too slow. I’ll never get there.”
This is exactly why we need faith to make significant, lasting change in life. We must have faith to SEE that the result we want WILL happen.
Faith is BELIEVING in the result before you SEE the result.
You must believe the result WILL happen if you just keep doing the next right thing. Over time, the cumulative result of small, good choices will compound and show up in a big way. Don’t quit just because you haven’t seen the changes yet.
Think about health and fitness. You set a goal, you get a plan and you start. You will not see noticeable change in your body for 4 weeks. Your friends won’t see it for 8 weeks and the rest of the people in your life will see change in you at 12. But before you SEE the change, you must BELIEVE the change will come, if you stay consistent.
Every day, make small good choices--and believe in a result that you can’t yet see.
The Bible describes it this way:
Hebrews 11:1 “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”
Believe it. Believe it’s coming. Believe it is happening. Believe God is helping. Faith changes everything!
Brad Johnson is Pastor of California Community Church in Agoura Hills, CA. The church meets in the ballroom of the Sheraton Hotel each Sunday morning at 9:30 and 11:00. www.californiacommunitychurch.com
