3 Keys to an Unshakable Faith

   Believing without visual proof is faith. Yes, God does work through others, and we can see His holiness in their actions. Christ ascension was the last time any humans had physical contact with God. The Lord’s new covenant with humanity is salvation through Christ Jesus.

 There are three indispensable qualities that will unlock a Faith that is unshakable. Devotion, trust and courage are as necessary to salvation as is food and water are for the nourishment of the body. If we deprive our bodies of those vital ingredients, then the flesh dies. Well, the same holds true in faithfulness to the Creator. A hardened heart is a lonely, isolated state of consciousness.  

   Without formulating a strong connection with Christ the shield needed to live spiritually is nonexistent. The human soul needs the comfort and love of God. Read any newspaper or watch newscasts, and it is apparent the destructive results from those who don’t follow Christ. Those media outlets focus on the wickedness of evilness and the devastation it has on society. There is no denying the facts they expose.

    Let’s break down the three keys to an unshakable faith:
      

   1. Devotion:

       The greatest way to obtain, maintain and grow in faith is spending quality time with God. There is no way we will know Christ without sincerely seeking Him. It is our responsibility to exert ourselves to our Father. No one else can do this for us because it is an inside job. The Lord designed it this way for a reason, and the only way we will find out the answer is by surrendering our lives over to His care and protection.

   One of the best ways to express our dedication to Christ is praying. Prayer is the principle means of making contact with God. That is how we embrace Christ.  Getting up close and personal with the Lord by setting aside personal time demonstrates our commitment to continue letting Him guide us through life. Christ is pleased when we give Him all we got.

   We all know the power of prayer because we have witnessed it both in personal experience and from others examples of its strength. So without a strong prayer life there is little chance of obtaining real faith.

     Another prime example of desiring God is carrying the message of the Messiah. Here we will need to involve ourselves with other believers and the church is where we find those who are active in the Gospel. We will have to go further than just attending Sunday service.

   It is a Christian responsibility to become a part of the ministry. Jesus takes notice when we willingly give our time and resources to help improve on the quality and clarity of His teachings, and every church has a number of opportunities available to join. There is something for everyone to do for the church.

   Our involvement in church activities with events dealing with local community affairs reveals the essence of faith. Here the public at large comes face to face with the Christian values of faith, love and compassion. Food banks, soup lines and homeless shelters are the ways some churches reach out to the needy. Selfless service is the pinnacle of believing in Christ’s divinity. We are the carriers of the way God makes a difference to those who need help.

   

2. Trust:   

     Trusting Christ is moving past self-knowledge and into His divine wisdom. This is best explained in the Book of Proverbs: 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct all your paths.” (NKJV)  Those four commands are essential in understanding the power of faith.  

   In order for us to feel Christ’s guiding hand, we have put forth an earnest effort. Halfhearted engagement with God is fruitless because we are unwilling to give Him our undivided attention. All of us at times have felt a spiritual void from not giving Christ our complete attention.

   Our feeble attempts show up in our attitudes and behaviors, and we experience unnecessary troubles. By relying upon Christ’s integrity, we open the door to His direction, allowing us to find the narrow way. As a result of our adherence to God’s commands there is nothing that can overtake Christ’s powerful grip. That is why we can find a strength beyond our own in overcoming any tragedy life doles out.

   The second verse in that scripture reveals a truth about how God designed our mental condition. “… And lean not on your understanding…” Even though, God created us with the ability to comprehend it is only through humility that will unlock the full potential of the mind. One of the realities of faith is accepting our inconsistent knowledge of His word. That is why He father us. We have to become teachable and for as long as we cling to our knowledge God’s grace is unavailable.

   The last two verses reinforce the need for continuous devotion and God’s promise of guidance in our life. Relying on Christ a little here and there is dangerous. Evilness and wickedness are resilient foes and to turn to God sparingly only allows them to control our spirits. The Lord is not a bail bondsman only available in emergencies.

  

   Quite often we make the most mistakes over the seemingly unimportant decisions in living righteously. Sometimes we forget that Christ is always there waiting for us to ask for His help. One of the toughest aspects of life is accepting our lacking ability in taking the appropriate actions to resolve everyday situations. Christ is the only one that can teach us the correct ways in responding to life’s terms.

   So the greatest resource in living faithfully is acknowledging God in all our ways. By bringing Christ into all areas of our lives, we will find the answers to family, career, social and economic problems. That is how the Messiah will direct all our paths. As we incorporate the Lord as the top priority in all our affairs, then, we develop a trust that is reliable, powerful and available to the faithful.

   The more we are willing to let Christ control our lives the better we become at following His direction. The results are astonishing, and we will discover the wisdom behind the action. That will inspire and motivate us to improve our relationship with the Savior.

3. Courage:

    All people of faith have courage. Christian confidence is a byproduct of faith in action and the antidote to self-centered fears. It is easy to stop short in our spiritual development because we lack the strength to move forward in living in the Word. Courage will allow us to overcome those obstacles preventing us from growing in the likeness and image of Christ.

    Christ demonstrated perfect courage at His crucifixion. Judas’s betrayal of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane brought the world face to face with a kind of bravery never witnessed. Our Messiah offered no resistance. Pontius Pilate gave the order to execute Christ and turned Him over to the Roman army. They inflicted Him with horrendous acts of physical violence. Christ withstood all the torture they threw His way with dignity.

    Christ’s example of facing man’s cruelty by being nailed to the cross is the greatest display of God’s powerfulness. If Jesus were able to die for our salvation, then there is no reason for us not to follow His lead. Our problems are minute to the burdens Christ endured.  

   Every day we encounter opportunities to practice spiritual confidence. They are unavoidable and show up in all avenues of living. Let us look at anger. Whether at home, on the job or in social circles there is someone or something that rubs us the wrong way. We may react intolerantly or become upset. That emotion is embedded inside all humans, and Christ knows we will get mad.

   We all have read in the Bible it is best to anger slow. Courage will allow us to discard our anger quickly and follow God’s will of letting go and forgiving others.  Other sins do the same, and God is there to help us to outgrow our spiritual immaturity. The realization of not having to be bonded to sin is the magnificent reality of God’s grace.

   The bravery that matters to Christ is demonstrating our Christian character in times when others try their best to disprove the fact. Salvation is often rejected and unbelievers ridicule and despise the truth of God. The courage Christ supplies are not a self-righteous attitude or a furious argument over the existence of Jesus. Rather, it is merely stating the truth of Salvation, walking away and leaving the Messiah as the judge.

   Sharing Christ’s message in a loving and caring way is an effective way of living in His footprints. It is an expression of the inward difference He makes in living a saved life. Actions do speak louder than words and our best example to the proof of God is living under His roof.

   Now that we have taken a look at devotion, trust and courage as the means of building an unshakable faith then we can begin to apply them. When we practice those Christian morals individually, we do become connected with God. Each of them brings a particular result in a Christ life, but when they are combined with a faith that works under any and all circumstances emerges. There is nothing that can destroy it because Jesus protection is the strongest.

What are the keys that unlock the unshakable in your faith?