What Kind of Faith?

A faith dependent on outcomes

Is fraught with trouble,

Sooner or later it will fail

And there goes your bubble.

You will pray for an outcome

That will not materialize

Then you will get to notice

What you had not realize.

It takes just a few occasions

When such faith doesn’t work,

The anticipated outcome didn’t happen

And the petitioner became hurt.

Strong delusion can set in,

Perhaps there was not enough prayer

So a more fervent prayer response

Should correct this affair.

Or maybe just maybe

More faith is needed for that demand

So we launch out our faith

And move forward with our plan.

And since faith without works is dead

We can settle in our mind

That our works will move God’s hand

It is just a matter of time.

Is your faith dependent on outcomes?

What do you do when it fails?

Do you pray a little harder?

Do you feel that more prayer avails?

And what has been your experience

When the extended prayer was done?

Did you find that the longer prayer

Had brought the desired outcome?

Is your faith the intellectual kind?

“O, I believe in God most of the time…

Whenever He comes through for me

It’s like I am out of my mind.”

  

Or is your faith the trusting kind?

“O, I trust God whatever the outcome…

Whether He takes me through or takes me out

I know that with God I have already won.”

The Christian faith is not about outcomes

Rather such faith is more about outlook,

It is not validated by a miracle

But by what God says in His Holy book.

For whether we live or whether we die

In whatever state we are the Lords

And so the outcome ultimately matters not

Once we are trusting in his word.

A functional faith is what we need,

A faith that is evident every day,

Not a special moment faith as a need arise

But a faith that dictates in all we do and say.

An implicit faith like that of a child

That completely trusts its dad and mum

Recognizing its needs are met by these two

Whatever the nature of the outcome.

For if our fathers being earthly

Know how to meet our daily needs,

Then how much more so our heavenly Father

Will take good care of His spiritual seed

An implicit faith, a trusting faith,

A faith not validated by the outcome,

A faith that mirrors a positive outlook

Even when there is no more that can be done.

A faith whose object is the Lord

That renders distractions just what they are

That sees through the fake and transient

And views the fraudulent from afar.

A saving faith and a living faith,

A faith that sees beyond this sphere,

A faith that focuses on heavenly things

A faith that looks for the Lord to appear.

Stewart Russell © 2017