“A Different Kind of Faith”

By Guest Author, Katherine Gallagher
Based on the Faith Series by Dennis Peacocke

Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. —Psalm 24:3-4

When you think of the word, “faith,” what comes to mind? For many, our picture of faith has been, “Give me faith to be healed,” “Give me faith to receive these finances,” or some similar event in our lives. When God honors our faith in difficult situations, we often praise Him for His faithfulness but then go back to our default setting of everyday living. Our picture of faith is frequently based around a particular event or a desired outcome—and while that is an important aspect of faith, there is level available to us that opens up a whole different world! That is the faith to actively practice the way of the Lord every day, with faith grounded not just in our circumstances, but in the unwavering character of God.

The path to maturity in Christ can be likened to ascending a mountain. The climb is not easy, requiring of us time and effort. It takes faith, and there is no way up but through the discipleship of the believer. The sustainability of the climb depends on a trail of disciples trekking hand in hand.

A disciple can be defined as a “disciplined learner.” The ongoing commitment of discipleship provides us opportunities to exercise and strengthen the muscle of faith. This is ultimately about learning to see things the way that God declares them to be—the way they truly are when we walk by the Spirit! We must daily seek to walk (or climb!) with this declaration and perspective as the guiding force in our lives.

We are called to be men and women in Christ who understand the way of the Lord on the mountain—people willing to give ourselves to teaching, guiding, and living out true discipleship. Our faith must go beyond simply hoping for deliverance from life’s challenges to embracing an active faith rooted in the promises, goodness, and nature of God. And that my friends is…

THE BOTTOM LINE.

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