What’s Your Faith Looking Like..
Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.
These Days Faith Is Really Everything!
I don’t know if you have really evaluated your faith lately.. yet I have had no choice but too. I mean in todays times.. if you spend too much time focusing on what you actually see with you eyes.. you will find yourself wondering if there is any hope left for our future.
So really the only other option is to go the “faith” route.. Now check it out.. I’m just going to be real with you for a second.. I wasn’t really brought up to have faith.. Were you?
Time and time again.. I catch myself speaking what I see vs. what I want. You know what I mean.. I see my daughter not listening.. AGAIN.. for like the 20th time.. and I say.. “You never listen”.. even though I know that I declare my WORLD with my words.. yet that is another blog post.. for another time.. I have to force myself to pause and then say “You always listen to me”.
All and all I had to find a way to learn more about living a life of Faith.. for a few reasons. 1. I’m a single mom.. and as a mom PERIOD.. I must have faith. 2. I’m a business owner.. and my business takes care of my family… and this lifestyle requires lots of FAITH..
One Story That Helped Me Desire More Faith
Ok.. so I’m going to tell you a story from 2 Kings in the Bible.. don’t freak out.. I’m going to give you the “Shalonda” translation (2 Kings 1). Yet let me just tell you I do believe that Faith comes from hearing the Word of God!.. Now let me tell you about this cat Elijah.. he was a prophet.. pretty much That Man of God!! I mean dude had crazy power. (keep reading it gets good) So Elijah gave a Word to this king.. that basically said the king was going to die.. (there’s more to it.. yet the point it that Elijah said dude was going to die.)
Well the king didn’t like that so he sent one of his captains that had 50 men (troops) under him to find Elijah and bring him to the king. So the captain finds Elijah sitting on this hill/mountain and calls out to him. “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down’!”.. (now pay close attention.. this is when it gets good)
So Elijah answers back to the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men!
Now check this out.. the captain and his men were probably still trying to figure out what Elijah said.. I mean when was the last time you heard someone when they said something to you from on top of a hill.. RIGHT! The captain was probably like “Whaaaaa… and BAM.. FIRE from heaven!!
Ok.. yet it doesn’t stop there.. king sent another captain with 50 men.. the captain said the same thing and Elijah did the same thing.. so the king sent a third captain with 50.. now this captain.. had some widsom about him.. He said, Man of God.. begging, “please have respect for my life and the lives of these 50 men, your servants!”
He lived..
True Faith Comes With Power That Guides You To Victory In Every Battle!
Now Elijah goes on to die and leaves a double portion of his spirit with Elisha, his portage’. Now Elisha takes this power to an entirely differently level.
When folks come to him.. that don’t worship the One True Living God Elisha is quick to say, “What do we have to do with each other?” Elisha walked with radical faith.. That I KNOW.. Like I KNOW.. Like I KNOW kind of faith.
So I will ask you again.. what’s your faith looking like?
Here’s another great Faith Builder for you!!
(Translation: Shalonda’s version of 2 Kings 4:1-7) So there was this widow.. her husband died and a creditor that her family owed was now about to take her two sons as slaves. Elisha comes through and asks how he can help? He ask her what does she have in her house. The widow responds saying that she only has a little oil.. (keep in mind she said a little oil). So Elisha tells her to gather empty jars from her neighbors.. and to get lots of jars, then to come back home.. shut the door and fill all the jars with oil and then sale them and pay off her debt.
So her sons go and get lots of empty jars. They come home and fill every single one to the top with oil. At the moment they ran out of jars the oil stopped flowing. How about she had enough oil to pay off her debt and enough for her and her sons to live on.
Ok.. this one right here is mighty.. so let’s just test your faith. Let’s say you need extra money coming into your household. While you are online.. you come a cross a link like this . Yet you ignore it. Then you find yourself still living paycheck to paycheck and then you see your self chilling on Facebook and you see another link like this . Yet you ignore it.. cuz all you can SEE is what you have.. not what is meant to be yours. If that widow looked at Elisha and said.. “Ummm didn’t you hear me.. I have a little oil.. how am I going to fill all these jars?” She would be saying goodbye to her kids.
What’s Your Faith Looking Like Right About Now?
Look I’m not saying every is your overflowing oil. What I’m saying is this became mines. So if you are going to .. you might as well do it where the oil is actually flowing.. #IJS
Ok.. Ok.. I’m done with today’s Bible Study.. I hope you enjoyed my version of 2 Kings. I’ve been studying lately and really found this interesting.. See in order to lead a life where you are truely in control of your finances and your life you MUST have faith!! PERIOD!
So go ahead and and I will share with you all my secrets to unwavering Faith.. yet you can really simply pick up your Bible and find every single one.. (hint hint!)
Catch you soon,
Shalonda Gordon
That “Keep Smiling” Chick
P.S. Leave a comment with your Faith Stories.. all they will do is help the next person press through.. truth be told that person may just be me.. Thank you in advance for sharing your Faith Story!! Keep smiling