Activated Belief

Hello friends, let’s continue with our walk through Philippians.

In jail himself, yet concerned for the church, Paul writes instructively to help them through the practical things they were facing. He didn’t slap a happy sign on them and tell them to stop worrying and be happy, but instead taught them how to view life. Once they knew how it worked, and how God worked in the details of life, things would be different. Circumstances might not change, but their belief would be activated through it being pressed into action.

Believe is a popular word. For some it might be getting worn out and over used.  It’s on wall plagues, holiday ornaments, and greeting cards. When someone is hurting or confused, we say…just believe!

Did you know that today’s verse in Philippians tells us something important about that word?

Philippians 1:29

“For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him.”

• It has been granted to us to believe
• It has been granted to us to suffer
  

Believe here comes from the Greek word, pisteuo, which can be translated : think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in.  But it can also mean…mere acknowledgment of some fact or event: intellectual faith.

Believe can be a head knowledge or a heart reliance.  And, most of us have a head knowledge of things, and wished that our faith was deeper and more part of the fiber of who we are.

Once we undergo something that causes us to have to trust something bigger than ourselves, believing in God takes on a new dimension. When we come to Christ in surrender when times are hard, and we seek to Believe He is who He said He was…something amazing happens. So, it’s that second part of the verse that brings us to a place of activated belief…when we go through something hard, or when we suffer.

Suffer here comes from pascho, which can be translated: to be affected or have been affected, to feel, or have an experience, to undergo in a bad sense, to suffer sadly, be in a bad plight

Acts 5:41 ” The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.

Romans 5:3 ” Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance.”

James 1:2 ” Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds”

Most of us would prefer a what my friend calls a “magic wand God.” But there is no such thing. In this life we have hardships. Life happens. It happens whether you are a believer in Christ or not. But, when it happens and you know Christ and are called according to His purposes, you can be assured that in the suffering something is happening. Suffering produces a greater gift than just being superficially happy all the time.

I admit to wanting to be shallow and happy. But, I also have to confess that I desire what it takes to be all God has called me to be. And, it just so happens, that you and I have been granted to believe and to suffer. Granted? I guess that means it’s a gift. Rejoice? We usually have joy in gifts, don’t we?

Now take your current daily hardship. Begin to realize that you have been granted the privilege of believing God in the middle of it. Thank him for your current suffering, no matter how small, because it is producing something in you. You have been given the right and privilege as his daughter to believe, so set your heart towards believing in God’s Power in your life. This doesn’t mean that your suffering doesn’t exist, it just means that you are turning to God while in it.

Father, help our unbelief. Give us courage to follow YOU and live as yours.

Go out and live well today!

Debbie