The Gift of Faith
Job was sure of the gift that God can do all things and that
none of his plans will be thwarted (Job 42:2).
The Lord has declared himself the refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold
in times of trouble, and he never forsakes those who seek him (Ps.
9:9-10). By being obedient to God’s law
we may be successful wherever we may go, so be strong, courageous, and be not
discouraged, for the Lord will be with us (Josh. 1:7,9). We must continue to trust in God’s love,
rejoice in his salvation, for he’ll be good to us (Ps. 13:5-6). God promises that he’ll guard the feet of his
saints, but the wicked he’ll silence in darkness (1 Sam. 2:9). David was sure of victory when he assured
Saul that with God’s help he’ll defeat this Philistine because he has defied
the army of the living God (1 Sam. 17:32-37).
A Chicago
Sun-Times advice columnist, Ann Landers (1918– 2002) wrote, “Love
is friendship that has caught fire. It
is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad
times. It settles for less than
perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses.” Believers must have the gifts of confidence
to move forward in loving ways. Remember
to share this friendship by forgiving those who have done them wrong. Norman Vincent Peale (1898–1993), a minister,
author, and progenitor of “positive thinking” said, “Believe in yourself. Have faith
in your abilities! Without a humble but
reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.” That’s right. True confidence only comes from our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. So you should believe
in him, do his will, and he’ll guide you.
It’s God who brings people across our paths to show us the true way of
life. Through prayer people know the
actions for them to take. Helen Keller
(1880–1968), an author
and political activist wrote, “Optimism
is the faith that leads to achievement.
Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” When believers meet people they have to be
positive in bringing them the good news of Christ.
Behavior is Key
It’s for believers to show kindness to those they encounter. An ancient Chinese philosopher and poet Lao
Tzu (6th to 5th Century–531 BC) said, “Kindness
in words creates confidence. Kindness in
thinking creates profoundness. Kindness
in giving creates love.” Amazingly,
it’s through the gift of kindness people are able to do what’s best. Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962), a politician and first
lady of the United States said, “You gain
strength, courage, confidence by every experience in which you really stop to
look fear in the face. You are able to
say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror.
I can take the next thing that comes along.’” Roosevelt reminded us not to be daunted by our
fears. People must face them head on,
recognize them for what they are, and handle them in the best possible way. There’s victory in overcoming fear.
An English naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882) wrote, “Ignorance more frequently begets confidence
than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much,
who positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by
science.” Interestingly, the more
people know the more they realize how little they know. But some people work at enhancing their own
reputation. Robert Kiyosaki (b. 1947), a
businessman, author and motivational speaker said, “Confidence comes from discipline and training.” When all is said and done people have to be
well-trained, and disciplined to succeed in life. This ought to be through hard work,
dedication, and persistence.
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