Got faith? Of course you do! But are you careful to feed your faith? To help it grow stronger? Unlike little babies, spiritual faith won’t cry when its hungry. So you need to remember to give it regular feedings, even if you don’t think these feedings are necessary.
So, what food should you consume? The “bread of life” — which is the Word of God! (See John 1:1 and 6:35)
“Blessed is the person who … delights in the teachings of the LORD and reflects on His teachings day and night. He is like a tree … that produces fruit in season and whose leaves do not wither. He succeeds in everything he does.” (Psalm 1:1-3 GW) How’s that for building strong faith?
“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105 NLT)
Yeah, and what’s my faith gonna look like when it gets bigger? Relax. Your faith isn’t like “The Blob” or those alien pea pods in the sci-fi flick Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Fully developed, your faith will look like … well, what do your hopes and dreams look like? We ask because “…Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1 KJB)
Reading God’s definition of faith helps us understand why having faith (and feeding it regularly) is essential in the pursuit of dreams and goals: faith allows us to “see” the finish line — long before we get there — encouraging us to stay on track and not give up, even when (to our physical eyes) our circumstances and chances begin to look bleak.
Whether we’re expressing our creativity, or chasing our dreams, or just coping with life, the Apostle Paul admonishes us to “walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV) When we do this, we stop focusing on the situation or the problem, while keeping our spiritual eyes on God the Problem-solver, who is able “to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20 NLT)
Faith can strengthen and equip us in many ways. We’ll discuss several in future Boot Camp sessions. For now, however, we submit the following:
Faith can feed your dreams and nurture the vision. It fuels the flames of hope, enabling you to believe in what would otherwise seem impossible. And during the midnight hour, in the barren wilderness of despair, when your “impossible dream” seems to be getting further away than ever and you’re tempted to believe all is lost, faith can reassure and sustain you for the long haul. As Corrie Ten Boom wrote, “Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible, and receives the impossible.”
Do you have an “impossible dream”? Are you wrestling with the creative process or struggling to succeed? Are you dealing with a bad situation or facing an uncertain future? Feed your faith and your dreams. Read the Word. Accept its truth. Own its promises. Fully expect to see God’s favor, blessings, and the fulfillment of the vision.
“Every Scripture passage is inspired by God. All of them are useful for teaching, pointing out errors, correcting people, and training them for a life that has God’s approval.” (2 Timothy 3:16 GW)
More Boot Camp for Creators & Dreamers next Thursday.