Eric’s Sunday Sermon; Faith in What Is Seen, Only?

Let us start out with the sun. We all know full well it “rose” this morning and we are quite sure it will rise tomorrow. Sorry but that is an assumption. It could just as easy explode. Scientist could predict an explosion but they cannot assure there will not be one. We do not get to assume something that has happened for ions will happen again tomorrow. Perhaps we could call it odds. I will bet it comes up tomorrow.

Usually these sort of discussion deal only with religious faith and rightfully so as that is the main area most people are comfortable and familiar with. How about we look at judgments made on assumptions. Truly that area is the most practiced yet we do not always know we are doing it. I think that is cool stuff.

Take love as a great example, we are speaking of marriage type love. “She has loved me for two decades she will love me tomorrow.” I think we can all see the fallacy but more importantly we can see the danger. I have faith that my wife will love me tomorrow and that Jesus will answer my prayers as asked. We can all see that that is misplaced faith.

Clearly we have to do something for those two to become reality. I have faith that my garden will be weeded as I weed. Most people don’t look up a faith definition. We just assume it is all about religiosity. Wrong. That is actually the second definition. Trust and confidence is number one in most dictionaries. I just love it when non-spiritual folks deny that they have faith. They can only see the second definition. Of all people they should look it up for empirical data.

I also like folks that say that there are no guarantees that tomorrow will come because they have no faith in that, yet their shelves are stocked and savings accounts full. Clearly those folks have trust and confidence that tomorrow will come.

See I told you this stuff is fun. They say Faith, Hope and Charity. Note that charity means love here a Greek founded word agape.

Faith and judgment are so intertwined.

If I make a judgment call on anything worthy of giving thought to, I have to have faith that my judgment is correct. Check out the writer that writes but never blishes for others to see. No faith. Wouldn’t it be strange if a preacher had sermons he did not preach? A great singer too “shy” to sing for others. The folks that always sit in the back at school or church just may lack faith. And of course we see that I am actually judging them as not having faith in themselves. But I have to pause and reflect as I do not see that as bad. It is one of those things that just is.

Trust and confidence are essential to “success”. Both inside of us and in matters outside of us. A team of any sort must “rely” on each other. In the Bible there are a few references about the body being many parts. And everyone knows the concept of a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. So in doing a task the hands rely on the legs not giving out. Our brain has a need or trust and confidence in our heart. So any many ways our “self” is a team.

The doctor tells us we have cancer. The CT Scan confirms it. We will have two faith actions here. One is that the doctor is right and the second that we will make it. Without both of those faith actions we are doomed. Of course for most of us we also have faith that our God will act in love toward us.

Did you know that many studies show that praying for over 5 minutes a day is really good for your health? That one is cool because you not only have faith that God will answer your prayers as God sees fit and that the action of praying is beneficial to your health.

If we do not have faith in ourselves how can others have faith in us? And that one has a challenge to it. What if someone has a faith in us that we will fail? And what about those folks who set us up to fail? But we cannot survive if we do not have faith in ourselves to succeed.

Driving is a good one. If we do not have faith that our fellow drivers will follow the law, we simply cannot drive. The fear would be overwhelming. If we do not have faith that our home is secure we cannot sleep. If we do not have faith in our oven we may not bake. Do not drink water you don’t have faith in. A marriage is downright worthless if there is no faith in the spouse.

Let us take a look at spiritual faith. Right out of the chute we understand about our God or else unhappiness is just a breath away. There are so many who pray and expect or have faith that God will answer their prayers as they direct God to do. That prayer goes like this; God cure me of my illness. A more proper prayer would be; God please fill my heart with love so that whatever happens I shall be at peace. That second prayer is great because we can take action to fill our hearts with love. It is not just faith in God but faith in ourselves. And we can have faith that our treatment will go well. And then of course we can rely on God to do what is best no matter our supplications.

I told you this stuff is for sure good. I hope you had faith in me. Well you did if you are reading this line.

It would appear that when we have faith we do not worry. Too too often we worry that things will not pass or workout OK. The saddest of all is the suicide victim. The full blown loss of faith, hope and charity. No faith that they will get through their crisis. Hope that each day can get better. And a loss of love for themselves, God an others. It would seem that the loss of these things would cause one to quit. I mean without them, what is the point of living?

But in the day to day we know that worry and anxiety will lead to deterioration of our health. Be very careful in this area. Do not ever tell someone who is worried or anxious straight up not to be. You must have faith that listening and commiseration will work especially with that showing of faith. Faith is contagious if it is strong enough.

There is this couple and the husband has cancer and worries a bit, not too much. The wife just plain has faith that things will work out the way God intends and does not worry. The husband therefor through some kind of synthesis is relieved of his worry burden.

Now for me. I just have full faith in God and that means I have faith that everything is part of God’s plan and to do all I can to assist.