Peace & Faith

God grants peace to us whenever we ask Him for it; so why don't we ask for it more often?

I know me. I have often resisted peace. This blog has changed recently, to Ephesians 2:14. "HE IS OUR PEACE!!!" My roommate gave me a plaque that says that for Christmas last year, and I've grown to love that verse. I think it defines what I want my life to be about.

But still - sometimes, I don't ask for His peace even when I know I need it. Why? Why, why, why??? I think sometimes, I need to feel my inner turmoil like the lines to that song, "and ya bleed just to know you're alive..." but that shouldn't be how it is for those of us who are saved. We should be able to feel Him without feeling pain first.

One of my friends has been struggling with this lately. She has felt so distant from God, and she's a very "feeling" person. I prayed over her that she would be able to feel Him again, the way she used to. But the truth is, even the most seasoned and charismatic worshipper doesn't feel Him all the time. It's one of the most powerful weapons the enemy uses to get us down. He tells us we're not doing something right. If you're not feeling His great awesomeness, you must not be singing loud enough. If you're not shaking from His mighty power, you're not raising your hands high enough. Truth is - we're HUMAN. We don't feel the same every day. We have to decide to make our faith an action each day, whether we feel it or not. Hebrews 11 talks about the big-wigs of the Bible and the things they did in faith.

I know that there are days when my students can be holy terrors. On these days, if I can remind myself to call them "my precious angels" and to build them up with praise, it almost seems to be a self-fulfilling prophecy! It's not new-age or psycho-babble.... it's God's will that we be optimistic and that we trust Him to fill us new each day. We can't rely on yesterday's feeling to get us through today.

Faith ain't a feeling. Good thing, too. I'd hate for my faith to be founded on something as subjective as a feeling. But what a blessing it is when He pours His Spirit on us and we are able to bask in His glory. A blessing. Not a given. Not our due..... He doesn't owe us a feeling.

Faith is an action.

Hebrews 11:1 Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.