I must admit that this week I was having a little trouble deciding what I would write about. I wanted to focus on something that has been challenging me for a few months – and that would be faith.
It is so easy to tell others to have faith and to say that you have the faith of David defeating Goliath – but it’s another thing when all you have is your faith. It’s easy to have faith when you have no problems, the ideal job, all the money and everything is going beautifully in your life – but what happens when things begin to change?
Faith is more than something we feel at a church service or when times get tough – it’s really a lifestyle. I’m a woman who believes in God the Father, God the Spirit and God the Son but this is not about me getting you to believe what I do, I am sharing my story of faith. Whatever you choose to believe is totally up to you.
When we hit rough seasons in our lives, it is natural to think to ourselves, “How did I get here?” We begin to reflect on our lives trying to discover what could have gone wrong. I did quite a bit of reflecting one night and then I realized something super important.
Throughout my entire life, I never really had to use my faith. My greatest opportunities were pretty much laid out for me. I just had to walk through the open doors of opportunity. College, great jobs, incredible relationships and even love were all pretty much given to me. Of course I had to do the work, but neither of these was a hassle to achieve. I said I had “faith” but did I really? I don’t think so.
For the first time in my life, I am faced with having faith and USING it. See, what I have realized is that faith is a muscle and in order for it to work and be strengthened, we have to use it or else it will weaken. As I have grown as a woman, I like to look at my challenges in life with a different lens. As opposed to thinking, “Why is this happening to me?” – I like to ask myself “What am I supposed to learn here?” or “What got me here in the first place?”
That is when it hit me. Maria, you are supposed to be using your faith. It’s time to strengthen that thing, get out of your pity pool and use your faith!!
I know, I know. Walking by faith and not by sight is one of those things that sound great on a Facebook post but another when you HAVE to do it. Not very fun at all. Rewarding but definitely not always fun.
That’s when I decided to come up with a list of principles of faith as I like to call them to help myself and you understand faith just a little better. This list of principles was not anything that I purposefully did; these are simply ideas that came naturally to me. Not to mention, I noticed that once I adopted these principles, that is when the magic started to happen.
So if you are one of the millions of us who are walking by faith, not by sight – hoping, expecting and praying for your breakthrough, here are some simple principles that I want to share with you to help encourage and inspire you.
• Faith believes for the best and hopes for the best.
• Faith let’s go of what one cannot control.
• Faith will get God’s attention.
• Faith will drive out fear.
• Faith believes His word and not your feelings.
• Faith knows that our feelings cannot always be trusted.
• Faith understands that when hearing the word “no” that it is for the best and the right opportunity is on its way.
• Faith trusts the process.
• Faith prays with expectancy and lives with expectancy.
• Faith gives.
• Faith is a principle of God.
• Faith believes even when no one else around you does.
• Faith knows when to laugh it off and give it to God.
• Faith knows when to walk away.
• Faith checks thoughts of fear.
• Faith remains focused, empowering you to keep your eye on the prize.
• Faith gives thanks in advance.
• Faith let’s go!
My favorite of them all is that faith let’s go! I know it can be SUPER tough to let go of what you really want or need but I am talking to you as a witness that when you let it all go, that is usually when you end up receiving what you wanted plus more.
I pray and encourage you to use your faith and believe that your best is yet to come!
XOXO,
Maria I. Melendez
@embraceherlegacy