Why Faith Matters

A Brief Definition

Faith can be defined in two ways. The biblical definition of faith according to Hebrews 11:1 is the “assurance of what we hope for, and knowing something is real, even if we don’t see it.” Christians believe in the God of the universe. Even though they can’t see God, they can see him working in their lives and in the world around them. To Christians faith isn’t a mirage. It’s not frivolous or imaginary. It is simply a means of trust. They base the majority of their beliefs on faith and the Bible. For some, that kind of faith doesn’t make sense. Having faith in somebody you can’t see, hear, or feel is beyond human imagination, which is why Christians are often ridiculed for their beliefs. We’ve all heard the phrase “I’ll believe it when I see it.” This is the thought process that comes with faith. The secular definition of faith according to Google is “ complete trust and confidence in someone or something.” Most citizens trust in political leaders to get their countries moving in the right direction. Children trust their parents to comfort them, feed them, and care for them. Politics is especially tricky business. Throughout history people have trusted their leaders to do what they know is right to restore balance and order to their countries. Leaders such as Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Mao Zedong didn’t do such a great job. 

When Faith Fails

The saying "just have faith" is used in response to uncertainty. In the New Testament Jesus has often rebuked his disciples for having "little faith." The saying "you of little faith" is used in Matthew 8:26 when Jesus calmed the storm. When understanding the biblical definition of faith we learn that it means trust. It's also important to remember that having faith doesn't mean everything will happen the way we think. Sometimes, faith can lead people into using objects as good luck charms. One notable example at least for me in the Bible is found in 1 Samuel 4 when the Israelites went to war with the Philistines. The When the Israelites took the Ark of the Covenant into battle, they believed it would help them defeat their enemies since it symbolized God’s presence as seen in Exodus 25:10-22. This is misued faith or "good luck charm" faith as I'd like to call it.

The Ark’s superiority caused the Israelites to view the Ark as a good luck charm. In this case, they were putting their faith in an object that symbolizes God rather than God himself. Loving the creation more than the creator as described in Romans 1:25.

What is Biblical Faith?

Putting faith in God means trusting that God will do what He knows is best even if things don’t go the way we want. Faith is loving the one who created all things instead of the things that were created. Faith is worshiping the God of the universe who made all things and wants to have a relationship with His people. Instead of putting our faith in things, we need to put our faith in God.