Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) #verseOfReflection
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Before I get started I want to implore you to be sure that you #tuneIn this month because we're going to cover a lot of powerful stuff. Majority of it will be by way of testimony AND it will allow you to understand how similar "kinds of things" can happen in your life.
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Ever since I was a little child, when it came to my imagination I held on for dear life...there was something about this idea, a simple concept, yet its abstractness and completeness of foundation allowed me to think beyond what was in front of me. This idea: belief. Maybe I fed too much into superheroes, doing good, and changing the world. Perhaps even in my mid-20s I'm nothing more than as my entrepreneurship professor puts it "naive" (of course this is regarding the Jacksonville Jaguars in most cases); wondering if people think of me in a broader way.
It's so easy, especially in westernized culture, getting away from the power of conviction, faith, belief. No one wants to dream anymore because they limit themselves to what they think is possible. People are afraid to grab on to visions and desires of their hearts for fear of failure. If you've learned nothing else, remember failure isn't always a bad thing, in fact those who are most successful in whatever they do have learned how to fail, and gracefully at that (See Grad Requirements).
I could go on, and on, and on about this. If you don't believe it, neither will anyone else if it's coming from you. And possibly even more crucial is this idea of: "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." Well, if you don't have the gumption to believe in _______ for yourself, you're left to allow others to believe for you or maybe worse, tell you what to believe.
I'm not a drinker, but I do know plenty of friends, colleagues, and family members who don't mind having their favorite bottle/can of ______ from time to time. Sometimes, especially at happy hours with coworkers and the like, it seems almost amazing how some folk can really get into this activity of drinking. It's as if so much freedom, leisure...good times a rollin' come as a result. Can this not be applied to a mere concept of conviction?!
Last year (and even til this day) I believed that the institution I attend will grant me access to a job with no problems. Some might say, I drank the "juice". When a former classmate suggested such, I responded "It's true. And I have." I believed what I had been told and have found it to be true from those who have gone before me and even in my search for full-time work (when I'm actively looking) doors swing open.
In the Bible, well let's back up...perhaps you've heard of a man named Abraham. Originally his name was Abram and he was married to Sarai (who later became known as Sarah and mother of Isaac). What's unique to Abraham (other than his becoming the "Father of many nations") is that he left everything he knew to take hold of the possibility of something greater (i.e. Promise of becoming "many nations"). Abraham, as the story is told in the Bible, was close to God and was told by God to leave his father's house and travel to a place...somewhere he wasn't familiar with, nor had heard of before. It was his trust in God and his faith (belief) which caused him to act on his given instruction. How many of us would drop everything to go somewhere if we're promised a significant increase, yet all we have to go off of is a deep conviction?
Welcome to the Power of Ur Belief #PUB
Speaking of Ur, this was Abraham's homeland; currently purported to be part of present-day Iraq. More specifically it was inhabited by Chaldeans at the time and seems to have been a place of great importance. Also, an interesting note is that Abraham's father had already set out to Canaan (the promised land), with Abraham (and his wife and possessions) and died early on in the journey. I imagine after his father's death Abraham received the call from God to continue the journey. There are many other examples of Abraham's faith causing him to drink from the PUB, as well as instances where he didn't believe as much as he should have.
Although this is a somewhat simplistic discussion, I do sense that you have to start somewhere. Somehow you begin with small tasks or goals and eventually work your way up to something much more elaborate. I hold firm to the thought that, "if you believe it you can achieve it." Many times it's all in your attitude, approach, and appreciation for the opportunities that may come. I mean really, when's the last time you believed in an idea so much that you were willing to do something crazy (like turn down a job offer and go back to school, waiting an entire year for 1 class, or _____ )? Isn't it about time you started believing (again)?!
Beliefs don't always "go down smooth" and it's my hope and prayer you find something worth believing in. If you've already found it, drink up.
Cheers.
Sumthn2Ponder (s2p):
- What do I believe?
- How will I respond to what I believe?
- When's the last time I "acted out" my belief(s)?
Links for Consideration(L4C):
