Not Subject to Re-Evaluation

 

I believe that God exists and that I am connected to Him by faith. I’m living this decision out every day and while there are ups and downs in the journey, it is a decision I do not re-evaluate based on circumstances. There are many decisions like this and for me it is helpful to name them. Sometimes we tend to focus too much on how we feel on a given day or in a specific set of circumstances. Often these feelings cause us to question beliefs and values that we’ve already determined in the past. Here are a few of my non-negotiables; principles that I’ve settled and do not allow myself to reconsider:

·       God is always with me. He speaks to me and listens to me as well. 

     I don’t always feel Him. I don’t always hear Him, but I know I will again soon.

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     My faith connects me to God and supports all that I do. I have enough faith.

Sometimes my faith feels strong and secure. Other times it feels weak and tenuous. But I have faith in God, and I bring Him my fears and doubts as well. I am strengthened by my pursuit of God, and my faith is always growing.

 

·       All things are possible with God and so I always have hope.

I believe that hope is a choice, not a feeling. The degree to which I feel hopeful changes with circumstances, but even when I feel hopeless, I believe that there is hope. In those tough times, I run to God and trust that my hope will be renewed and strengthened by Him.

 

·       God is good.

I have already decided that God is good and so I’m looking for His goodness to show up in the midst of the adversity I experience. I am determined that God will restore and redeem the tragedy in my life and in the lives of others.

 

·       I can and will find God when I seek Him.

I cannot afford to question this again and again in my life. I have proved this many times and through enough hardship to believe it beyond doubt. It may be hard to believe at times and the choice to persevere takes courage and determination. But I will not stop looking for God and believing that I will find Him.

 

·       I am well led by God’s voice.

I am always growing in my ability to hear God and in my discernment. But I also believe that I am not limited to my ability. I believe that God wants to speak to me, He wants to lead me and bless me. He knows how to get my attention, and He has good things for me. He wants to encounter me even more than I want to encounter Him. God’s voice leads me to peace, hope, joy, strength and wisdom. In Him I have all that I need.

These belief statements are the guard rails that keep my faith and my pursuit of God aligned with scripture. When I start to feel doubt or fear, these are the beliefs I turn back to and focus on. I sometimes find myself questioning one of these. In those times I remind myself that I have already decided and Im not allowing a re-evaluation of these truths. They have been proved multiple times throughout my life and relationship with God. I choose again to believe them. And then I keep on persevering until it is easy to believe them again.

There is freedom that comes from settling a matter. These are boundaries of my faith, and they allow me to grow and thrive.