Day 24, or On Fire
I’m a firm believer in faith without evidence. I don’t need to see to believe, and I don’t need proof to know that my religion is the only true one. But that doesn’t mean I always feel the joy, the love, the zeal that I would wish to.
It’s a hard thing to admit, but I share it because for a long time when I was younger, I thought lacking these feelings was somehow sinful, that if I didn’t feel the presence of the Holy Spirit all the time, like so many people around me seemed to, that I wasn’t a true believer. I felt like I was a hypocrite to preach my faith while I was struggling with it. Now I know how wrong I was, but it really troubled me at the time. Maybe others feel that way too, and I hope to help them understand that they don’t have to.
I choose to live by the belief that faith is stronger than feelings. I live by it because Jesus gave us that example Himself. I don’t think He felt like being betrayed, mocked, tortured, and hung on a cross to die. But He knew why it was asked of Him. And He did it out of love.
I can’t even remotely compare my trials to His, but I hope and pray to always do what I know is right, no matter what I feel or don’t feel. Because we are not defined by the emotions with which we do things, but by what we choose to do. I choose my faith for a reason, and that reason will never change. I plan to walk this road until its end.
My prayer for today:
Lord, give me the fortitude to live the faith no matter what circumstances I encounter, especially at the most difficult times.
Amen.
