What Keeps Your Faith Strong?

For some reading this, it is a reprint, this is something that I wrote a few years ago, but upon reading it, I realized it still resonates inside me while we are in the trenches and craziness of life.  And I give all the glory to my Heavenly Father for every trial and triumph that follows...

What keeps a Christian's faith strong?  We go to church, read our Bible, pray, have fellowship with other Christians, sing songs of praise etc...but do these things alone keep our faith strong?  Are we conditioned to think that things are only good and worthy of  praise when they are going our way?  Would your faith be wavered if GOD didn't answer your prayers in a favorable way?

Think about it.  If you have a bad day at work, you would say that your job sucks.  If you had an argument with your spouse, you might say that the other person is being a jerk.  If you spent your last $10 on losing lotto tickets, you would say that the lotto is stupid.  But let's turn things around...If you got a raise, you would love your job, if you got roses or a night out with the guys, you would say relationships rock!  If you had won the lotto, well, then you would be on cloud nine, telling everyone how great the lottery is.

So, if we place terms and conditions on all that , then is our faith any different?  Aren't we just like the Israelites, when GOD promised them a new life in a new land, they were all like, "YEAH GOD".  But when they realized that they had to play by HIS rules, they weren't so pleased.  They then had to spend some years in a not so great place, and even thought their needs were being met by their loving creator, they chose to complain about how bad they had it.  But wait, when they ended up in the promise land, they were all back to the "YEAH GOD" way of thinking.

Just like when we have a baby, we are so happy and pleased with GOD, when that baby gets sick, where's our faith?  Isn't there some sort of condition placed on our faith? I, like many people have had trauma and distress in my life.  I have had times without GOD.  But that wasn't because HE wasn't there, it was because I wasn't willing to place my life in HIS hands.  I thought  I knew better.  But when I got to a place where I could allow GOD to work in my life, I realized  that it was I who was pushing GOD away, and HE was there hanging on for deal life the whole time.

My faith is strong and unconditional, because I made my choice.  I chose to place my life in HIS hands.  To completely abandon self, and surrender to HIM.  That is what faith means to me.  I will scream from  the depths of my soul, sounds of praise even when things seem impossible and completely unbearable.  For I know HIS will is best.

What do you chose? HIS hands or yours?  Where is your faith, in HIM or in you?

Just like the LORD said to Joshua..."...I will never leave you nor forsake you". Joshua 1:5