By Faith, This Is Not the End.

"By Faith, This Is Not the End."

      “Have faith in God!" This has been one of the widely used sentences people hear from professing Christians. They say that having faith in God is the antidote to fear, worry, and doubt. However, in today’s age where various illnesses have become a point of discussion even among believers, do Christians still see the impact of having faith in God? Or has it been just a cliché--an ordinary expression to give to someone who's down and weary? Do Christians still realize the very essence of 'having faith in God?' As a reality check for all of us, what do we actually mean when we say "we have faith in God?" in an age where helplessness, hopelessness, and desperation seem to have crippled us?

        The Word of God, has always been clear in showing us what 'having faith in God' truly means. All over the Gospel accounts, one can see how men and women who once suffered intense illness and despair showed genuine faith in the Lord. These men and women's illnesses during their time are as devastating as our illnesses today, nevertheless, they had genuine faith, and that made the difference. What then is genuine faith? Genuine faith, after all, is not something that man could always recognize. Truth is, man will often doubt and throw criticisms on our faith. Such a fact is also seen in the Gospel accounts. Man considered those individuals with illnesses as a hopeless case, an outcast, and they were either despised or mourned upon. True enough, Christians with genuine faith are not always immediately applauded nor approved by men nor by society. Contrary to how the world views it, having genuine faith in God is one that is recognizable and valuable by ultimately the Lord Himself. He perceives true faith, and that is what matters the most. The Lord Jesus Christ has seen the hearts of men, and He definitely knows those who have genuine faith in Him are. Genuine, Biblical faith is simply trusting God's character and believing in Him for who He is. It is actually realizing that God, in His flawless character, who is above all things and yet personally involved in all things, is working behind the scenes and is able to fulfill His will for our lives. It is by then accepting that whatever He does and sends in our lives as Christians has a purpose, and that is always for our good, our growth and His glory. This is what those people saw in Christ. They believed in His deity, trusted His character, and submitted themselves to whatever He wills on their lives.

       The result? Miracles. Healing. Restoration. These people were put back to life, not just physically, but more importantly, spiritually. Indeed, God's wondrous working power can only be seen with the eyes of genuine faith. It can only be felt and experienced with the heart that knows who God is and trusts Him for who He is.  He waits to recognize genuine faith in us. He values it and seeks to work greatly in us. We only need to have faith and surrender to Him.

      Having said all of that, Christians, this is not the end for us, and it will never be unless God says so. By having genuine faith, we can claim such truth. Just like the men and women who continued living because of their genuine faith, we too can continue living for Him. Just like those people who shared God’s love and power to others the moment they were healed, we too can continue sharing His Word, pursuing and fulfilling His call for our lives. He is the One who called us, and He who called us is faithful to fulfill that which He has started in us. In an age where feelings of doubt, worry, and fear are rampant, there is no reason for us to continue therein, but rather continue in faith, knowing that God is with us, and that God who has our best interest in mind is able to deliver us from the lowest and weakest times of our lives. Having genuine faith, may we "fear not, believe only.”

(So this essay won 3'rd place in our Bible college's essay writing contest. To me it was very unexpected--to the point that I did not attend the event due to my sickness, and I was fine with it, because I did not expect to win anything. Nevertheless, to God be the glory! I thank Him so much for teaching me this big and important lesson these last few months of 2017. I am just grateful for all the experiences--especially the difficult ones--that lead me to writing this. It will always have a place in my life and in my heart. This piece also goes out to all Christians who feel weak, inadequate, helpless, hopeless, ill, and struggling; to all Christians who feel despised, neglected, ignored, and belittled. This is for all of us. May we turn our eyes upon Christ, look full in His wonderful face, and the things that we feel--our despair, our sorrows, our pains--and the things of this world--the struggles, the temptations, the distractions, the hardships--will all grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace. By faith, this is not the end for us.)