What is the meaning of faith.
We all know that there is one creator of this world and his creation is an absolute joyous one. If we view this creation in a positive light we can definitely see the wonder of it all. But we do have to see it positively. Unfortunately so many people have a negative view of the world and then their view of the world appears to be full of misery and of bad happenings. It does so often seem that only bad news makes news. If we count the headlines in a news program, ninety percent will be depressive or highlighting somebody’s indiscretions. Very rarely does a success story feature as the top headline of a news bulletin.
Is it any wonder then that so many people have such a negative picture of God’s creation?
This last week has seen much, if not all of the United Kingdom covered in snow. There have been record low temperatures, deeper drifts of snow than can be remembered and travelling conditions fraught with danger. Salt to grit the roads are now in short supply and the country is criticized for not being able to cope when such weather conditions arise.
All negative view points.
Today the snow came down heavier than ever. It could have been so easy to lie in bed, stay in front of the fire and basically vegetate. But I didn’t want to do this. Despite the protests of my oldest son Dale, my wife Tonya, Dale, Charlie (my youngest boy) and I donned our thick coats, Wellington boots, hats and gloves and walked into town choosing the scenic route for our walk. We snowballed each other, rolled in the snow and warmed ourselves in one of the cafes in town. Along the way we met numerous people that we knew, all of them enjoying the abundance of the season that is part of God’s creation. The local hillsides were crammed with children sledging and having fun. To crown the day, inspired by the many we had seen on our walk, we all pulled together to make a huge snowman in our garden.
To me, this was seeing and experiencing the wonderful creation of the world. It was such a simple pleasure yet so wonderful a way to spend the day. We could have stayed in doors and bemoaned the bad weather and written off the day. But making the most of what had been put before us was the positive way to spend the day.
If we really want to we can look beyond the bad news that seems to be thrust upon us regularly through the course of a day. Open our eyes and we can see the good things. We take for granted the courteous actions that so many people deliver each day. If we stopped for just one minute we could all recognize these actions and appreciate that this is God’s good grace coming forth. It is hard to remember the good because we take it for granted but when the bad happens it centres on our minds.
I appreciated so much today the wonders of God’s creation. It was with immense gratitude that I had such a joyous time with my family too. Sometimes all it takes is the simple things to appreciate the good in this world.
How fantastic is that?
Terry Norrington
www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com
www.cryinthedark.org
Saturday, 9 January 2010
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
Faith? Where is the Evidence for Faith?
What is the meaning of faith?
One of the great conundrums of life which places a huge question mark against faith is the phenomenon of natural disasters. Earthquakes, hurricanes and tidal waves seem to be so indiscriminate in their occurrence, causing so much tragedy and human suffering.
Surely a loving, merciful God would not allow such suffering of his people?
With the many thousands of people who die and suffer from such events surely not all these are sinful enough to warrant the consequences of such unforeseen catastrophes?
Questions like these have exercised the minds of many intellectuals over the centuries and undoubtedly their answers have fallen at both ends of the spectrum, proving or disproving the existence of God.
It would be so easy to use natural disasters as indisputable evidence as to the fact that there is no God. A God who truly cares about his creation would not allow for such cataclysms, would not oversee the sufferings from destruction and famine. This surely is not the work of a loving, merciful Father?
Yet there are many scientists, particularly geologists who see the world as a work in progress. The crust of the earth is a movable, floating surface. Plate tectonics proves that there is movement of the different areas of this crust, and friction develops as the plates either rub against each other or slide one under the other, eventually releasing the energy in the form of earthquakes. Constant transference of energy from one part of the globe to another comes in the form of wind, with hurricanes and tornados at the extremities of this process. The conclusion of said scientists is that these are the inevitable changes occurring in the world as Mother Nature heads towards her ultimate creation.
The Tsunami of Boxing Day 2004 would surely be another nail in the coffin of faith?
With many thousands dead in the coastal areas of India, Thailand and Malaysia one would expect the faith of the surviving people to be destroyed.
On the contrary.
Despite the loss of loved ones, despite the loss of homes and property and despite the tremendous suffering after such an awesome display of destructive power, the faith of the survivors was, and still is, remarkably strong. Many saw this as a challenge set by God to test their abilities, to prove the strength of their faith. Others saw it as punishment for the misdemeanors of themselves or their people proving that they still believed in God their creator.
The compassion showed by so many people in the aftermath of this destruction was seen as a demonstration of God’s love with mercy missions coming from all over the globe, desperate to offer aid in whatever capacity they could provide.
We could be forgiven for thinking that negativity would prevail. But as time wore on people became more positive as communities started to rebuild; phoenixes from the ashes. Almost unbelievably it was the religious centres that seemed to stand steadfast against the onslaught of water and today remain the focal point as these villages overcome disaster.
The problem that exists when trying to reason as to why God allows natural disasters to occur is that the arguments are set by the human mind. Taking into account the greatest of minds in the scientific, political and theological fields, the human mind is still limited. The intellect can only go so far. In searching for the answers to the universe we always come up with more questions. We are trying to drain the oceans using a spoon. If computers could understand their creator then the world would surely be in trouble. Likewise it is impossible to understand the intelligence of our creator.
It is not hard for any of us to see back through our lives, that when we believe in God he is there for us. And even when times appeared hard, when we could so easily have questioned our faith, God saw us through the darkness until the light shone again. There is a reason for the pain and suffering that we all experience at different points in our lives; they are just not always apparent at the time. Don’t try to reason it because the human mind has frailties, it is limited in comparison to the truth that is God. Just know that God is there and have absolute faith that he will guide us through to the good times.
How fantastic is that?
Terry Norrington
www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com
www.cryinthedark.org
One of the great conundrums of life which places a huge question mark against faith is the phenomenon of natural disasters. Earthquakes, hurricanes and tidal waves seem to be so indiscriminate in their occurrence, causing so much tragedy and human suffering.
Surely a loving, merciful God would not allow such suffering of his people?
With the many thousands of people who die and suffer from such events surely not all these are sinful enough to warrant the consequences of such unforeseen catastrophes?
Questions like these have exercised the minds of many intellectuals over the centuries and undoubtedly their answers have fallen at both ends of the spectrum, proving or disproving the existence of God.
It would be so easy to use natural disasters as indisputable evidence as to the fact that there is no God. A God who truly cares about his creation would not allow for such cataclysms, would not oversee the sufferings from destruction and famine. This surely is not the work of a loving, merciful Father?
Yet there are many scientists, particularly geologists who see the world as a work in progress. The crust of the earth is a movable, floating surface. Plate tectonics proves that there is movement of the different areas of this crust, and friction develops as the plates either rub against each other or slide one under the other, eventually releasing the energy in the form of earthquakes. Constant transference of energy from one part of the globe to another comes in the form of wind, with hurricanes and tornados at the extremities of this process. The conclusion of said scientists is that these are the inevitable changes occurring in the world as Mother Nature heads towards her ultimate creation.
The Tsunami of Boxing Day 2004 would surely be another nail in the coffin of faith?
With many thousands dead in the coastal areas of India, Thailand and Malaysia one would expect the faith of the surviving people to be destroyed.
On the contrary.
Despite the loss of loved ones, despite the loss of homes and property and despite the tremendous suffering after such an awesome display of destructive power, the faith of the survivors was, and still is, remarkably strong. Many saw this as a challenge set by God to test their abilities, to prove the strength of their faith. Others saw it as punishment for the misdemeanors of themselves or their people proving that they still believed in God their creator.
The compassion showed by so many people in the aftermath of this destruction was seen as a demonstration of God’s love with mercy missions coming from all over the globe, desperate to offer aid in whatever capacity they could provide.
We could be forgiven for thinking that negativity would prevail. But as time wore on people became more positive as communities started to rebuild; phoenixes from the ashes. Almost unbelievably it was the religious centres that seemed to stand steadfast against the onslaught of water and today remain the focal point as these villages overcome disaster.
The problem that exists when trying to reason as to why God allows natural disasters to occur is that the arguments are set by the human mind. Taking into account the greatest of minds in the scientific, political and theological fields, the human mind is still limited. The intellect can only go so far. In searching for the answers to the universe we always come up with more questions. We are trying to drain the oceans using a spoon. If computers could understand their creator then the world would surely be in trouble. Likewise it is impossible to understand the intelligence of our creator.
It is not hard for any of us to see back through our lives, that when we believe in God he is there for us. And even when times appeared hard, when we could so easily have questioned our faith, God saw us through the darkness until the light shone again. There is a reason for the pain and suffering that we all experience at different points in our lives; they are just not always apparent at the time. Don’t try to reason it because the human mind has frailties, it is limited in comparison to the truth that is God. Just know that God is there and have absolute faith that he will guide us through to the good times.
How fantastic is that?
Terry Norrington
www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com
www.cryinthedark.org
Thursday, 17 December 2009
Decorate Your Life with Faith
What is the meaning of faith?
The last two or three weeks I have been taken away from my love of blogging about faith and personal development by other rather pressing issues, including that of decorating the landing, stairs and hallway ( at my wife’s insistence ). Decorating is a chore that I neither love nor hate; I just kind of do it. Yet there is a wonderful sense of achievement as one gets towards the end and it all comes together.
When decorating, I have the image in my head of the final product; what the room will look like when my work is finished. It is this image that drives me on during the grotty phase of preparation, the stripping of wallpaper and the sanding of the paintwork. But the preparation is so important, creating strong foundation for the finished work. Although it isn’t always appreciated, each step is a step closer to that ultimate design. Then there comes a phase when it all starts to take shape; as the image becomes reality. The motivation to carry on to the finishing line is high as the fruits of labour become evident.
To create a bonsai tree, its creator goes through the same process, forming bold images of how he wants the tree to look at the end of his efforts. He nurtures the plant, making cuts here and snips there, giving it the right amount of water to thrive. Eventually his creation takes shape, in the form of the image he has so strongly held in his mind.
When we strive for success at whichever endeavour we choose, we need to have strong mental images; bold pictures of the successful end result. These positive paintings we create in our minds give us the drive to succeed and we can then formulate a plan and set goals as we begin to create and achieve that dream.
We reap what we sow; if we have negative thoughts we are planting seeds that become
the weeds that nobody wants. If we think positive thoughts we plant the seeds of fruitfulness and our tree flourishes with an abundance of that fruit, the fruit for which we so strive for.
God helps us achieve those dreams. He holds our hand as we take each step. Sometimes the dream seems far away as the drought sets in and the plant seems to lack water. But God guides us through these difficult patches and he also provide times of plenty with water to spare, creating the opportunity for the seed to grow and develop into the wonderful plant we had so brightly visualized at the start of the dream.
The Law of Attraction states that if we want something then we have to believe; totally believe that we already have what it is that we desire. If we pray to God for his help, then we have to have absolute, unwavering faith that he will provide. When we know that God is by our side, granting us his unconditional help and love, we can rest easy and our mental images of success our so much easier to harvest.
Any one of us can change our thought patterns from negative to positive ones. We all have the ability to control our thoughts if we so desire. Having an unflappable faith in God though makes thinking positively so much easier.
How fantastic is that?
Terry Norrington
www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com
www.cryinthedark.org
The last two or three weeks I have been taken away from my love of blogging about faith and personal development by other rather pressing issues, including that of decorating the landing, stairs and hallway ( at my wife’s insistence ). Decorating is a chore that I neither love nor hate; I just kind of do it. Yet there is a wonderful sense of achievement as one gets towards the end and it all comes together.
When decorating, I have the image in my head of the final product; what the room will look like when my work is finished. It is this image that drives me on during the grotty phase of preparation, the stripping of wallpaper and the sanding of the paintwork. But the preparation is so important, creating strong foundation for the finished work. Although it isn’t always appreciated, each step is a step closer to that ultimate design. Then there comes a phase when it all starts to take shape; as the image becomes reality. The motivation to carry on to the finishing line is high as the fruits of labour become evident.
To create a bonsai tree, its creator goes through the same process, forming bold images of how he wants the tree to look at the end of his efforts. He nurtures the plant, making cuts here and snips there, giving it the right amount of water to thrive. Eventually his creation takes shape, in the form of the image he has so strongly held in his mind.
When we strive for success at whichever endeavour we choose, we need to have strong mental images; bold pictures of the successful end result. These positive paintings we create in our minds give us the drive to succeed and we can then formulate a plan and set goals as we begin to create and achieve that dream.
We reap what we sow; if we have negative thoughts we are planting seeds that become
the weeds that nobody wants. If we think positive thoughts we plant the seeds of fruitfulness and our tree flourishes with an abundance of that fruit, the fruit for which we so strive for.
God helps us achieve those dreams. He holds our hand as we take each step. Sometimes the dream seems far away as the drought sets in and the plant seems to lack water. But God guides us through these difficult patches and he also provide times of plenty with water to spare, creating the opportunity for the seed to grow and develop into the wonderful plant we had so brightly visualized at the start of the dream.
The Law of Attraction states that if we want something then we have to believe; totally believe that we already have what it is that we desire. If we pray to God for his help, then we have to have absolute, unwavering faith that he will provide. When we know that God is by our side, granting us his unconditional help and love, we can rest easy and our mental images of success our so much easier to harvest.
Any one of us can change our thought patterns from negative to positive ones. We all have the ability to control our thoughts if we so desire. Having an unflappable faith in God though makes thinking positively so much easier.
How fantastic is that?
Terry Norrington
www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com
www.cryinthedark.org
Thursday, 19 November 2009
Who Yer Gonna Call? God
What is the meaning of faith?
When we have a problem the first person we turn to is ourselves. We face up to the issues and try to find a solution. For the most, this is normally sufficient and we create independence by sorting out our own problems. It also helps in building self confidence and self esteem.
If a solution doesn’t come forth through our own efforts then we normally turn to friends, family or a professional; an expert in the field in which our problem lies. Two heads are better than one so the saying goes, and particular with regards to the expert, their wealth of experience will usually guide us in the direction we need to go.
There are times though when despite our best efforts, despite the efforts of others, an answer to our problem doesn’t seem to be readily available. For every problem there is a solution but when it just doesn’t seem obvious “who are we gonna call?”
God.
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. But when we have a deep rooted faith, God becomes our strength. We can face up to any challenge if we believe and trust that God will see us through.
So in the event of a crisis we have three levels at which we operate.
1. We look for the answers ourselves. We do a bit of research and apply the grey matter a little bit harder and if that fails we revert to plan 2.
2. We ask somebody. Hopefully there is an answer out there amongst the people we know.
3. Plan 3 is to ask God. By having faith, asking God for his help and being patient, the answer will come.
So what happens to those non-believers? What do they do when they get to level 3. Emotions normally take over. Panic and quite often depression, and when anybody gets to this state it can be a downward spiral. When negative emotions cloud thinking the problem becomes the sole focus of attention, blinkering any thoughts of a solution.
I once had a boss who would say to me “don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions”. Easier to do when God walks by our side and we can think positive thoughts. Nowhere near so easy when negative thoughts run through the mind.
When we have the joy of knowing Gods love, when we have absolute faith in God helping us to find the answers, we think positively and the solutions surely emerge.
Perhaps I should have added another level between 2 and 3. “If all else fails read the instructions”. The bible.
How fantastic is that?
Terry Norrington
www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com
www.cryinthedark.org
When we have a problem the first person we turn to is ourselves. We face up to the issues and try to find a solution. For the most, this is normally sufficient and we create independence by sorting out our own problems. It also helps in building self confidence and self esteem.
If a solution doesn’t come forth through our own efforts then we normally turn to friends, family or a professional; an expert in the field in which our problem lies. Two heads are better than one so the saying goes, and particular with regards to the expert, their wealth of experience will usually guide us in the direction we need to go.
There are times though when despite our best efforts, despite the efforts of others, an answer to our problem doesn’t seem to be readily available. For every problem there is a solution but when it just doesn’t seem obvious “who are we gonna call?”
God.
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. But when we have a deep rooted faith, God becomes our strength. We can face up to any challenge if we believe and trust that God will see us through.
So in the event of a crisis we have three levels at which we operate.
1. We look for the answers ourselves. We do a bit of research and apply the grey matter a little bit harder and if that fails we revert to plan 2.
2. We ask somebody. Hopefully there is an answer out there amongst the people we know.
3. Plan 3 is to ask God. By having faith, asking God for his help and being patient, the answer will come.
So what happens to those non-believers? What do they do when they get to level 3. Emotions normally take over. Panic and quite often depression, and when anybody gets to this state it can be a downward spiral. When negative emotions cloud thinking the problem becomes the sole focus of attention, blinkering any thoughts of a solution.
I once had a boss who would say to me “don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions”. Easier to do when God walks by our side and we can think positive thoughts. Nowhere near so easy when negative thoughts run through the mind.
When we have the joy of knowing Gods love, when we have absolute faith in God helping us to find the answers, we think positively and the solutions surely emerge.
Perhaps I should have added another level between 2 and 3. “If all else fails read the instructions”. The bible.
How fantastic is that?
Terry Norrington
www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com
www.cryinthedark.org
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
What Do You See?
What is the Meaning of Life?
A candle burns gently, giving a warm glow to dark surroundings. Then a slight breeze blows out that enchanting flame.
Do we see that breeze?
No we don’t. But we may feel the cool softness of the air as the breeze brushes our faces.
The operation of a switch brings light to a room in a fraction of a second. The miracle of physics determines that electricity illuminates darkness through that single light bulb.
Do we see the electricity?
No we don’t. But we see the results of its work.
A television sitting in the corner of a room beams out a mass movement of light. Radio waves carrying digital information through many miles of space creates that picture on the screen.
Do we see those radio waves?
No we don’t. But we can enjoy the stories that they create.
There are so many things that we cannot see yet we feel, see and enjoy the results of.
People doubt God’s existence.
Why?
Because they cannot see him. This means that there is no proof that he exists. Scientists can tell us how energy creates a breeze, causes electricity to flow and allows radio waves to carry signals through the air. But scientists cannot explain Gods love and the energy that this provides to anybody who opens up their hearts to him.
So he can’t exist, can he?
So you want proof!! Look around you.
How did this wonderful creation ever come into being?
Oh!! The whole universe was created by a massive nuclear explosion derived from one small atom. The “Big Bang” theory the scientists call it.
But where did that atom come from?
A mathematician once calculated the odds on life being created on a planet with all the chemicals and atmosphere to sustain that life plus putting the sun, moon and stars in all their corresponding places. It worked out at 1 to the power of billions. Personally I have better things to do with my time, but at least he concluded that life, the world and the universe is too orderly to have been created by such chance.
For those of us in the know, those with faith; we have the knowledge and the wisdom. There is a creator of this beautiful world and all that surrounds it and that creator is God.
We may not be able to see him but we can most definitely feel his presence, see his work and enjoy his love.
How fantastic is that?
Terry Norrington
www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com
www.cryinthedark.org
A candle burns gently, giving a warm glow to dark surroundings. Then a slight breeze blows out that enchanting flame.
Do we see that breeze?
No we don’t. But we may feel the cool softness of the air as the breeze brushes our faces.
The operation of a switch brings light to a room in a fraction of a second. The miracle of physics determines that electricity illuminates darkness through that single light bulb.
Do we see the electricity?
No we don’t. But we see the results of its work.
A television sitting in the corner of a room beams out a mass movement of light. Radio waves carrying digital information through many miles of space creates that picture on the screen.
Do we see those radio waves?
No we don’t. But we can enjoy the stories that they create.
There are so many things that we cannot see yet we feel, see and enjoy the results of.
People doubt God’s existence.
Why?
Because they cannot see him. This means that there is no proof that he exists. Scientists can tell us how energy creates a breeze, causes electricity to flow and allows radio waves to carry signals through the air. But scientists cannot explain Gods love and the energy that this provides to anybody who opens up their hearts to him.
So he can’t exist, can he?
So you want proof!! Look around you.
How did this wonderful creation ever come into being?
Oh!! The whole universe was created by a massive nuclear explosion derived from one small atom. The “Big Bang” theory the scientists call it.
But where did that atom come from?
A mathematician once calculated the odds on life being created on a planet with all the chemicals and atmosphere to sustain that life plus putting the sun, moon and stars in all their corresponding places. It worked out at 1 to the power of billions. Personally I have better things to do with my time, but at least he concluded that life, the world and the universe is too orderly to have been created by such chance.
For those of us in the know, those with faith; we have the knowledge and the wisdom. There is a creator of this beautiful world and all that surrounds it and that creator is God.
We may not be able to see him but we can most definitely feel his presence, see his work and enjoy his love.
How fantastic is that?
Terry Norrington
www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com
www.cryinthedark.org
Monday, 16 November 2009
The Beauty of Serenity
What is the meaning of faith?
Serenity and Spiritual Beauty
Beauty comes with self acceptance, self love and self awareness. Self knowledge is equivalent to truth which brings serenity and spiritual beauty.
How fantastic is that?
Terry Norrington
www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com
www.cryinthedark.org
Serenity and Spiritual Beauty
Beauty comes with self acceptance, self love and self awareness. Self knowledge is equivalent to truth which brings serenity and spiritual beauty.
How fantastic is that?
Terry Norrington
www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com
www.cryinthedark.org
Sunday, 15 November 2009
Losing Faith in God
What is the meaning of faith?
I’ve lost my faith in God.
Why didn’t God help me?
I really don’t believe that he will save me.
Although people may not out rightly say these phrases, very often their dejected words and actions prove evidence that this is what is going on in their minds. Through times of strife they appear to lose all faith in God.
I once had a friend who was extremely successful. He had a fantastic career, a loving wife and family and a great circle of friends. His faith in God was strong; or so he thought.
One day this friend had a major disagreement with his bosses at work and ended up quitting his job. About the same time some of his friends emigrated to different parts of the world. His mood deepened and as he fell into depression his wife struggled to cope with the situation and finally left him.
I could see the troubled questions going through his mind.
What’s happening to me?
Why does God give me all these troubles?
Shouldn’t God have mercy?
Maybe there is no God?
Now at rock bottom, he firmly believed that his faith in God was lost. He stopped thinking about faith and just tried to live his life as best as he could.
A few years later, he found another job and made great progress, re-establishing a career. Some of those friends that had travelled abroad returned home, preferring the British way of life. He re-built a good relationship with another women and life became as wonderful as he had previous known. As the good life returned, so did my friends faith in God. He believed that his faith had been restored.
The truth is that his faith in God hadn’t been restored because he had never lost it. In fact he had never had a faith in God, just a faith in his life’s conditions.
Why did he lose his faith?
When life was good and full of happiness he trusted in this life style. Psychologically he believed it would last forever. In the stock market world, when the price of a stock goes up, investors believe the price will go up forever in complete ignorance of what economics are actually telling them. The price of that stock becomes exaggerated. Reality then sets in when the price of the stock starts to fall. It is then assumed that the price will continue to fall forever and that stock is sold cheaply. Here we can label the economy as being “faith in God” whilst the direction of the stock price can be called “faith in a lifestyle”.
My friend, when life turned bad asked the question,
Where is God?
His faith was never in God but in his work, his family and his friends. When he lost them, he lost his faith.
When we are at our lowest ebb, this is when God is truly by our side. For those of us who absolutely believe in God, this is when our faith is strongest. We do not have a “fair weather” faith in God. Inevitably we find a path through our troubles and strife thus proving God will always be there for us. This is absolute faith which provides such hope, inspiration and optimism for us all.
How fantastic is that?
Terry Norrington
www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com
www.cryinthedark.org
I’ve lost my faith in God.
Why didn’t God help me?
I really don’t believe that he will save me.
Although people may not out rightly say these phrases, very often their dejected words and actions prove evidence that this is what is going on in their minds. Through times of strife they appear to lose all faith in God.
I once had a friend who was extremely successful. He had a fantastic career, a loving wife and family and a great circle of friends. His faith in God was strong; or so he thought.
One day this friend had a major disagreement with his bosses at work and ended up quitting his job. About the same time some of his friends emigrated to different parts of the world. His mood deepened and as he fell into depression his wife struggled to cope with the situation and finally left him.
I could see the troubled questions going through his mind.
What’s happening to me?
Why does God give me all these troubles?
Shouldn’t God have mercy?
Maybe there is no God?
Now at rock bottom, he firmly believed that his faith in God was lost. He stopped thinking about faith and just tried to live his life as best as he could.
A few years later, he found another job and made great progress, re-establishing a career. Some of those friends that had travelled abroad returned home, preferring the British way of life. He re-built a good relationship with another women and life became as wonderful as he had previous known. As the good life returned, so did my friends faith in God. He believed that his faith had been restored.
The truth is that his faith in God hadn’t been restored because he had never lost it. In fact he had never had a faith in God, just a faith in his life’s conditions.
Why did he lose his faith?
When life was good and full of happiness he trusted in this life style. Psychologically he believed it would last forever. In the stock market world, when the price of a stock goes up, investors believe the price will go up forever in complete ignorance of what economics are actually telling them. The price of that stock becomes exaggerated. Reality then sets in when the price of the stock starts to fall. It is then assumed that the price will continue to fall forever and that stock is sold cheaply. Here we can label the economy as being “faith in God” whilst the direction of the stock price can be called “faith in a lifestyle”.
My friend, when life turned bad asked the question,
Where is God?
His faith was never in God but in his work, his family and his friends. When he lost them, he lost his faith.
When we are at our lowest ebb, this is when God is truly by our side. For those of us who absolutely believe in God, this is when our faith is strongest. We do not have a “fair weather” faith in God. Inevitably we find a path through our troubles and strife thus proving God will always be there for us. This is absolute faith which provides such hope, inspiration and optimism for us all.
How fantastic is that?
Terry Norrington
www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com
www.cryinthedark.org
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