I feel like I’ve been waiting a lot lately and to be honest, I’m not even sure what I’m waiting for. It just seems that something, anything, besides what’s happening should be happening.
I keep waiting for God to do something miraculous and it’s not like I’m needing a miracle right now. It’s more so that I need less of the mundane, everyday. I need less of me and what I can produce and more of Him and what He is known for.
I want to see something. I guess what I want, if I’m being honest, is a show. I’m sitting here like some ticket holder, parked in my mezzanine seat, waiting for the Jesus Show to begin. I want to see Him do something. I want to believe in something right now.
Problem is, seeing isn’t believing.
We’ve heard it so many times: I’ll believe it when I see it. We’re taught to think that way–that the proof is in the pudding, that nothing is anything until it has been visually verified.
But God thinks this is nonsense. He came to shame the wise, remember? He isn’t a showman. He isn’t here to perform for me. He wants nothing to do with letting me see so that I might believe. No, He does the opposite…
God says, seeing isn’t believing. Believing is seeing.
You want to see me, Nicole? Well then, believe.
You want to feel more of me, know more of me, gain more of me?
Believe…
…and then you shall see.
And isn’t this the truth we see played out in our lives and in our faith? That the more we believe the more visible He becomes? Jesus is never more real to me than when I have placed my trust in Him, while being blinded to the future outcome. If I could see down the road, dare I say, I might never believe.
We walk by sight? No, we walk by faith, not by sight…
Seeing isn’t believing.
Those in love with Jesus don’t have the luxury of waiting around to see before they choose to believe. We have to believe first.
I’ll believe it when I see it.
No, I’ll believe, then I’ll see.
I’ll see Him.
What have you struggled to believe in lately? Have you been waiting to see God do something?
On most levels I totally get this, I know that my faith creates more opportunities for God to work but one area I seem to find it so hard to give up is around my weight. I just need to hand it over, do the footwork and believe it will happen and then I’ll see it. I need to be fit for purpose and that includes being healthy and alive.
Thanks for the reminder, Mich x
Michelle, I can so relate to your comment these days. Having never struggled with my weight, after recently having my third baby, it feels like an uphill battle. And for some reason, I forget to let God into this area of my life–thinking it is too vain or too superficial. But as you said, there is a greater purpose in being fit and that He does care about.
Praying for you as you do the hard work that He will supply your needs and encourage your spirit.
Like Thomas, I feel like I can’t believe unless I see the nail-scarred hands. Christ is risen? Death has been defeated? God is restoring creation? Pfft, I’ll believe it when I see it!
Travis,
Exactly. I read your comment and was nodding my head. Then though, I was thinking, we are the proof. Me and you. The sin in my life has been defeated. My life has been restored, heck resurrected. I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s true. I guess that’s the point too. We are suppose to be the proof to those who don’t know God–our lives are what will help them believe…so that they might see. No pressure, or anything though :)
I really like this blog post Nicole because it touches on something that I think 99% of the Christian population struggle with, and that’s faith. It’s amazing how faith in theory sounds so easy but in practice can be so difficult.
For example, I’m working on a pretty big project for my church that has never been attempted before and I have no idea what the outcome is going to be like. Am I going to succeed or am I going to fail?
Many times I worry and blame God because I feel like He isn’t guiding me and he isn’t speaking to me. I get myself all worked up in a tizy thinking that God has set me up for failure. When in reality, it’s God that’s leading me in the most natural of ways. I expect to see the writing on the wall but really, God’s just leads me in a very natural way that I can’t detect that He’s doing it.
When my project is done and I look back at the success that God has given me, I’ll realize that He had his hand on me the whole entire time. Silly humans not trusting God :-)
Peter, I think you touched on a great point. So often our expectations of God’s guidance do not meet our reality and so we assume He isn’t leading us.
When really, He wants us to slow down, or be quiet, or listen, or pause, or yield and then in doing so we realize HE was there instructing us all along.
Peter Rollins does a lot that complements this post: he often argues that we can measure what we actually believe by how we act.
So I can see what you believe. As you wrote, then, I can see your faith in God’s nature, character, promises, etc. by watching you live as though all that’s true (Hebrews 11:1, James’ faith + works both come to mind).
Nice work.
Hmm… I like that idea, measuring what we believe by how we act. That makes sense to me.
I guess if I were to follow that thinking, well then, I have more faith than I think I do.
Thanks Jr.
Wow Nicole – straight to my heart.
I’ve been pondering certaintly and worrying that I still have doubts all the time – about everything from the doctrines of the church to the very existence of God himself. Everyone else seems SO sure, SO certain, SO convinced.
Maybe a bit of healthy and honest discussion about this would help us all develop more faith – rather than watering seeds as doubt as seems to be the fear.
Thank you
Anna,
Here’s to working out our salvation with fear and trembling. Notice the verse says “working out” not figured out. Phil 2:12
Blessings friend.
It is true, we walk by faith, not by sight. I do believe, however, that we walk blindly. God gives us direction, if we listen. We aren’t just to set out on our own. Doing that will usually not work out well. We need to seek God’s will and then obey. Harder done than said. :)
Without a doubt we have been fraught with an anxiousness to see some movement. We are poised to make a move to a new town, to start a new work and we are impatient to see His will played out in His time. This is a move to a place where we have no contacts and so we need to visit to get some intel. Our car was hit by a bus and is in the shop. It’s been 5 weeks so far for the 8days worth of work. AAHHHHH! I need to go “help” God get the ball rolling. Just believe indeed, Nicole.
I get this. It wasn’t too long ago that religion and I met up again, and I’m taking baby steps with it, but I am so with you on this. The thing I learned, and I don’t know if this is just me or not, is that you’ve got to DO something. A friend of mine hosted a retreat this weekend and her answer was this – “Some people are painting cats going, ‘Look, God. Look at this cat I painted for you. Isn’t it the best cat you’ve ever seen?’ and then others are standing, going, ‘Tell me what you want me to paint, God. Just tell me and I’ll paint that for you.’ Just paint. God doesn’t care what you paint. Just paint something.” It really resonated with me, and I hope it helps you too.
I am waiting for God to get through the blinders of disbelief that prevent my dad and brother from seeing and believing in Him. Once when my husband and I were praying, he saw them both with white robes in heaven. I am holding onto that vision as my faith. It doesn’t matter when it happens as long as it happens. That is the big one.
That is a vision worth holding on to. I have people in my family who I am praying for as well, so thank you for the reminder to remain hopeful and trusting in God for their salvation.
Thank you too for the kind words of encouragement!
BTW, excellent blog. Thanks for the encouragement!