believe

What You Believe Matters 

Dr. Mike 2022, Kingdom Paradigms, Life Tools , ,

2 Peter 3:17-18 (AMP)

Therefore, [let me warn you] beloved, knowing these things beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men [who distort doctrine] and fall from your own steadfastness [of mind, knowledge, truth, and faith], but grow [spiritually mature] in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Why does what you believe matter?

Because you make decisions and act from your center of belief. If you believe it, you will act accordingly. If you have no belief nor opinion, you will simply be swayed by others who have a stronger belief system. So, you better know what you believe and why or otherwise you are not being true to yourself. You are then only like a slave following the beliefs of others.

Peter writes in his second letter to those who follow Christ and have accepted HIS spiritual influence in their life, a reminder to remain steadfast in their belief of God and Jesus Christ. His recommendation is for us to continue learning and growing in our walk with our Lord.

That is intentionally studying and living our lives as an apprentice of Jesus Christ. When we come to the realization who HE IS, what HE has accomplished for us, and what HIS macro purpose and plan is for all humanity, then everything you do each and everyday in your micro world begins to fall into a narrative which HE leads and fulfills. Your belief system becomes stronger as you grow your relationship with HIM. You eventually learn to dance with HIM around the dance floor of earth. You develop a holy swagger in your actions, thoughts, and deeds. Instead of being swayed by every fad culture throws your way, you become a representative of HIS Kingdom and a way of life that may lead through suffering and pain, but yet reflects genuine love and joy and peace that will make you stand-out-of-a-crowd. You are special and unique because HE has made you so.

Therefore, confirm your beliefs agree with HIS Word. And then follow through on those beliefs with action.  Why? Because your beliefs matter on who you are becoming; and you become by what you believe and how you act on those beliefs.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Author of e-Books

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Believe

Dr. Mike 2021, Business & Faith, Kingdom Paradigms, Life in Christ , ,

John 17:8,20-21

“For I (Jesus) have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me…I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

Yes, I believe. I believe Jesus Christ is who HE claims HE IS: The Incarnate Son of God, King of Heaven and Earth, and Humanity’s Savior. I believe the Bible is a recorded narrative of God’s relationship with mankind and written for our sake. We can choose to believe or not.

I didn’t believe all this at the beginning of my faith journey. All I knew was if there was a God, he needs to intervene or this young man’s life was not going to make it through his teen years. And HE did.

Every journey begins with a set of beliefs. Our actions, decisions, and choices are based on these deeply held perceived truths. The more we exercise them, and the results come true, the more confident we become in our beliefs. However, whenever our actions repeatedly fail, we eventually evaluate our belief system and discard the unreliable “truth” for another.

Over a life time, certain beliefs become our anchor – we have proven their fundamental truths over and over again with similar favorable results. Other beliefs are still being evaluated. How many of us though purposely select and choose our beliefs?   

Our initial beliefs are indoctrinated into our souls through family, friends, and teachers. In our early lives, we are typically ignorant of our surroundings and the makeup of our soul. Even as adults, the social and news media bombard us with the latest fads and the current fear factors which we subconsciously allow into our belief safe. 

However, one day (could be late teens or now-a-days even late fifties) we start struggling with our interval belief system. We start questioning everything we have been told. When reality sets in and the realization we have been lied too, manipulated by others for their sake, and then in those extreme cases, thrown out with the bathwater, we most often find ourselves angry and hurt.

Unless we are grounded on a bedrock of fundamental beliefs proven over eons of time, the majority of us will substantially modify our belief system. The transition though is most often costly of time, relationships, and money. The best prevention is having a healthy family upbringing by parents who are grounded in solid values and beliefs. Where does healthy values and beliefs come from?

The number one bestselling book of all time is still the Bible. There is a reason. Within its pages contains valuable principles and truths which have been proven over time to work. The Book also points to the importance of having a relationship with the living God. When one walks with HIM, one slowly becomes more and more like HIM.

Per Jesus’ prayer in John 17, we become one with our Father God and Jesus Christ. When we do, we learn the foundational truths of life; gain knowledge, understanding, and wisdom to manage everyday life; and find assurance and purpose for living.

Yes, beliefs allow us to focus and put structure into our world. If we don’t believe in the Triune God, we will never seek out what HE has for us. On the other hand, for those of us who believe, our focus is to seek HIM out in every day life situations. When we do, we begin to witness answers to prayer, reoccurring solutions from an invisible hand, and broken people healed from inside-out. Like the wind, which we may not see but only witness its impact, we likewise witness the effect when God’s Spirit is engaged with others.

In summary, in regards to the Triune God, to believe opens the window of opportunity to discover HIM and the truth; but not to believe, only closes the window of ever really coming to know HIM and a life built upon lasting truth.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Author of e-Books

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-2021 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved

Belief Trap

Dr. Mike 2020, Traps , , , , ,

James 2:20

Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

You begin to experience salvation when you start to believe Jesus Christ is who He claims to be is how theologian Karl Barth expounded in his writings.

Belief is more than a wish or superstition. Real belief is built on facts, logic, and experience. Yet some people, after battling and working through the reasoning process, think that is all there is. Why? Didn’t Jesus himself say that if you believe on him you will receive eternal life?

From what I remember my psychology classmates telling me, belief is the centerpiece of action. Belief leads to action. We act upon what we believe. From our central belief system lies our values and worldview. But if we believe and do not act upon those beliefs, then do we truly believe?

James writes in his letter that belief without action is dead. He likens it to the body without a spirit: dead.

Belief is demonstrated through its fruit. An orange tree may have hundreds of green balls (the real color of oranges before the factories paint them for resale to the public) hanging on its branches, but when you take one from the tree and begin to peel it only to find dryness in the inside, don’t you throw it away? It may look like an orange hanging on the tree with other oranges, but is it a healthy orange?

Belief in Jesus Christ is like taking an escalator in a high-rise shopping mall. We start on the first floor and the moving steps take us higher unto other floors with more stores to discover. After we experience the 2nd floor, we take the escalator up to the next floor, and the next floor, and the next floor, where we discover more. Belief in Jesus Christ is, in a poor analogy, the escalator that takes you to places where you can experience real life.

Real life begins with believing Jesus Christ is the Messiah promised to the Jewish and Gentile nation back when Adam and Eve were discharged from the garden. When that fact hits us in the head and heart, our values and worldview begin to change and leads us to action which demonstrate our belief in Jesus Christ as King and Savior. Yet inaction may not tell the whole story on some who believe but are frozen from doing good work. Some may believe but be lazy; a character flaw. Others may believe, but are ensnared by the world’s glitter. And others may believe, but be angry with God and like a 2-year-old still pouting in the corner until lesson learned.  So, we need to be extra careful and not condemn the heart of others. Instead, let’s first pray for our brothers and sisters and let God lead us how best to relate with them. Maybe God will open a door for you to discuss the situation and help restore your sister/brother into a closer relationship with Him. Or bring another solution for their struggle. Either way, if God makes you aware of a problem, He will lead you.

Is that not what turning belief into action all about? Therefore, doesn’t our actions demonstrate our beliefs?

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Founder of
Vocational Leadership 360
Author of e-Books:

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-2020 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved