“Faith is not a part of the Christian life …”

A thought by James MacDonald (2015-06-18) from his book, Lord, Change My Attitude: Before It's Too Late (p. 171). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title of the book to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

Now that thought is not the whole thought. That is what is called a grabber. Here is the whole thought by James, “Faith is not a part of the Christian life … it’s the whole thing!” That clears up what he is saying, doesn’t it?

He continues, “Faith isn’t like love and joy and hope. Faith isn’t something to add to your spiritual arsenal. Faith is the gun that fires the bullet! Faith is everything! If you can’t trust God; if you can’t lay hold of His promises, expect a lot of defeat in your life.”

He goes on, “The thing about faith is that you can’t tell by looking at a person how much faith he or she really has. Faith in a person is like water in a bucket— you find out how much is inside when you bump it. When circumstances bump you, you spill what you’re full of. What are you full of? If you’re filled with faith, then faith comes out. If you’re filled with doubt, and circumstances bump you, doubt comes out. God places regular tests of faith in front of His children.”

He later says, “It’s one or the other: faith or doubt. Bumps are going to happen. You will be tested. The purpose of the test isn’t just to reveal your faith; it’s also to refine your faith. God doesn’t test your faith so He can know how much is there— He already knows. He tests your faith so that you can know how much is there and see it grow. Every good thing God wants to give to us comes through the funnel of faith. He refines our faith because He loves us and wants to bless us more and more.”

So what are you full of, doubt or faith?

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