Misplaced Faith

When something is misplaced, it is incorrectly positioned, or temporarily lost. When people don’t know where their keys are, what do they say? “I misplaced my keys.” We say it all the time when we put our keys down instead of putting them in a designated place. When there is a designated place to hang them, you know where they are, and you don’t have to look for them. There is an assurance that your keys will be there when you need them. What happens when there is not a designated place, and you randomly place the keys somewhere. Chaos happens. You don’t remember where you place them. If you are running late for work, it causes undue stress on you and those around you. It can also cause a ripple effect. If you are late for work too often because of that one simple thing, it can cost you your employment.

What about your faith? Can it be misplaced? Most definitely. Faith is complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Sometimes we may put our faith in certain people because we want to believe that they have our best interest at heart when not everybody does. There are good-hearted people in the world that love it when others prosper and succeed at whatever they do, but guess what? They are human, which means they are subject to error. This also means they have the potential to hurt us. Be careful with who you trust in.

I am going to pose a question to you. Why do you think it is easier for people to put their faith in another person rather than God? Maybe because they can see the person? We can look around and see that God is real. God, in His infinite wisdom, skillfully created this world and its inhabitants. In the previous blog, I encouraged you to read the book of Genesis. The reason why is because the first few chapters describe how Heaven and Earth were created. It explains how God took this Earth that was void and dark, and He gave life to it by just speaking the words “Let there be…”

There are people the Bible speaks of who, for a moment, lost faith but eventually found it again. In Matthew 11:2-15, it talks about John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus, who prepared the way for the Messiah. I imagine John the Baptist to be bold and confident in his proclamations of the coming of Jesus. Yet there was a moment where he had to send one of his disciples to ask Jesus if he was the Messiah because he found himself in jail. Jesus sent word to John the Baptist that He indeed was the Messiah. Another person that the Bible speaks of is Simon Peter. Simon Peter was a disciple of Jesus and loved him dearly, yet when it counted the most, he denied Jesus three times. This story can be found in Mark 14:66-72. Another example is the Prophet, Jeremiah. God gave him an assignment, but he felt he was too young. Read Jeremiah 1:5-7. What about you? We love God, and we are sold out to Him until He requires something of us that takes a leap of faith and trust in Him. Suddenly, we forget who He called us to be and all the things He has already done for us. What changed? God didn’t, we did. We allow circumstances to block the view of what God wants us to see. We start doubting our ability to do what God has called us to do instead of standing on the Word of God that says I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.

Putting your faith in God is the best thing you can do. Unlike people, He is perfect in all his ways, and His love for you is unfailing. You can take God at His Word when He speaks to you. Allow your faith to be placed in the promises that He has promised you. Trust that He is going to bring them to the past. Just like we read about how Jesus healed, delivered, and set the captives free in the Bible, the same miracles are still happening. As a matter of fact, Jesus said that we would do greater works. One of the things that I love about God is that He cares about people, and He wants nothing but the best for us. Don’t allow your faith to be misplaced no matter the assignment. If what God ask you to do takes you out of your comfort zone, allow it. Let God stretch you and reveal strengths, and capabilities that are just lying dormant on the inside of you. Allow God to stir up the gifts and the abilities within you.  Continue to trust God and take Him at His Word.