How Faith Works

KAYDENE GREEN / JUNE 18, 2023

“Regarding the debate about faith and works: it’s like asking which blade in a pair of scissors is most important”
– C.S. Lewis

A mother and her three children were in a room in their home getting ready to play their version of a game of dodgeball. This was the very first time the family of four chose to play the game as part of their family’s game night tradition.

The goal of dodgeball, to put it simply, is to avoid getting hit by the ball at all costs in order to win. If you’re from the Caribbean, this may sound a lot like a game of “sighting“.

Before they began the game, they studied the room and noticed the only item present was a beanbag; a soft cushion-filled sac perfect for sitting and relaxing on.

After studying the room, they began the game and as the mother of three was getting ready to throw the ball at one of her sons, she noticed he ran over to the beanbag, held it up infront of him, and blocked himself from getting hit with the ball.

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Just a few minutes prior, the beanbag was only just an item to sit on. By putting it to work in a way least expected, it transformed into an effective shield that eventually led to the son’s victory in the game.

With a proud smile on the mom’s face, it dawned on her that her son’s innovative use of the beanbag was a subliminal message of how faith works.

Her son believed the cushion-filled sac could be a shield, but had he not picked it up and held it against him to block the ball, it would have done nothing for his victory in the game.

What is Faith And Is It Necessary?

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Faith – confidence or trust in a person or thing, a belief that is not based on proof, a system of religious beliefs, the obligation of loyalty or fidelity to a person, a promise, engagement, etc.

Faith is a powerful force that can guide us through life’s challenges. Whether it’s through religious beliefs or a strong sense of conviction in ourselves and our abilities, faith can give us the strength to persevere and overcome obstacles.

Faith can also provide us with a sense of comfort and peace during difficult times. Whatever your beliefs may be, having faith can be an invaluable tool for navigating the ups and downs of life.

Faith gives a person strength to persevere through challenging situations and to make difficult decisions that only you may understand. It involves allowing yourself to be vulnerable, taking risks, and trusting that things will work out in the end.

By developing your faith muscle, you open yourself up to amazing opportunities and possibilities. You begin to see the world differently – through a lens of hope, optimism, and love.

Like the son in the story, his faith in the beanbag came to life the moment he picked up the beanbag and allowed it to work on his behalf.

Faith Is Activated With Action

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“It is not enough to simply have faith; it must also be put into practice.”

This concept gets dicey for many believers who are under the impression that Godly faith means doing nothing and indefinitely waiting on the Lord to drop a miracle in their lap.

When I think of Godly faith, I am reminded of James 2:26 – “Just as the body is dead without breath, so also is faith without good works.”

The context of this verse is a directive to spread the love of God in tangible ways through acts of service or charity and not just with lip service.

Merely telling someone in need that God will provide, when in actuality the provision is in your hands, is the “dead faith” the passage was referring to.

The notion that faith without works is dead is evident in our every day lives, even more so than we realize.

If you ask me, faith without works is actually fear; the fear to try and the absence of faith in oneself and in God to “order your steps.”

Let’s look at a few examples:

A coach for a football team may have faith in the team taking home the championship but with no training, what chance of success does that team have?

I may have faith that I will land my dream job someday, but I’d never have a shot at getting that job if I never put the effort in to apply for it.

Unless I take my car to the gas station and add fuel to the tank, my faith that it can take me from point A to point B would just be a thought.

Sometimes faith means walking away from someone or something that serves you no good, not knowing what the future may hold.

And in the early dodgeball story, the boy’s faith in the beanbag becoming a shield was activated in his decision to pick that beanbag up and use it to block the attacks coming his way.

I know… faith may not always look like this.

Sometimes faith means doing all you can, with all you’ve been given and seeing no results but still trusting that somehow, someway, things will work out for the better.

Even in this seemingly dormant posture, the trusting and the casting aside of doubts and fear is faith in action.

Faith is good all by itself, but is dormant without fuel, and fuel is the actions you decide to take.

If you have faith that God only wants what is best for you, then you can trust Him to direct the steps you’ve decided to take. Your flawed judgement may lead you to take the wrong step, but faith will get you back on track.

Faith without works is fear, so pray and take that first step.

What steps do you need to take today to put your faith to work?

What To Do When Your Faith Is Dwindling Away?

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It can be hard to have that same energy and optimism you had at the beginning of any journey. Action after action, faith upon faith, and things only seem to get worst.

I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the movie “The Pursuit of Happiness“ starring Will and Jaden Smith. If you decide to watch this movie, get your tissues for the end… well if you’re anything like me and the emotional wreck I can be with inspiring movies, you may need it.

The movie is based on the true story of a man named Christopher Gardner and his determination to overcome what appears to be a snowball of struggles.

He went from being broke and homeless to financially secure. It helped that Chris’ motivation was his son, and no matter how hard it got, he never lost faith in his ability to overcome and succeed.

If you are feeling helpless and are almost at the end of the rope of holding on, not only do I recommend that you devote some time to prayer (if you are so inclined) or seek help, but I also highly recommend that you see this movie.

A Man Named Abraham

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Abraham was known as the father of faith.

Abraham received a promise that he would become the father of many nations. He and his wife Sarah, were promised a son. Sarah laughed at this.

Why did she find it funny? A lack of faith perhaps.

The promise came at a time in their lives when they were not (naturally) biologically capable to bare children. Both Abraham and Sarah were very old.

Despite that, Abraham trusted God would be true to His word and continued to walk faithfully despite the number of years that were passing by with no sign of the promise being fulfilled.

God eventually fulfilled His promise to Abraham and blessed him with a son, Isaac. Not long after finally becoming a father, God requested that the same son Abraham had been waiting for decades to receive, was to be taken up as a sacrifice to God.

Wait what?

So having read the series of events that happened on Abraham’s journey up to the mountain to offer the sacrifice to God, from face value I thought to myself, Abraham lied his way through the entire process.

No one could understand why there were no animals in his possession for the sacrifice which was typically the norm as God never asked for human sacrifices.

Abraham was not telling anyone he was on his way to put his son Isaac on that altar as the sacrifice. I can’t imagine what Sarah would have thought or done if she knew what Abraham was about to do.

This is a good example also that not everyone will accept or understand your faith moves.

Every time they asked Abraham where this offering was, he kept saying God will provide, when in reality, he was about to offer his son up as a living sacrifice.

How heartless of God to be asking the man to sacrifice the son he waited on receiving for so many years.

I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know that I could have ever done what Abraham did or would even attempt to. Full disclosure, to me, that directive would have made absolutely no sense.

Until a new perspective was immersed during a devotional, I was reading one day.

The author’s perspective was that Abraham trusted in the promises he had gotten and believed even if he had to really sacrifice his son for the sake of total submission and obedience to God, he had faith that the story was not going to end there.

When Abraham kept saying, “God will provide the sacrifice“, He actually believed that there was more to the story but he would have never found out had he not taken the controversial steps he did.

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Abraham’s faith was literally one for the books. Some may say extremely unrealistic and risky, but the takeaway is arguably invaluable.

Thankfully, Abraham did not have to harm Isaac, and a lamb was provided at the very last minute.

Talk about a test of faith.

A Little Faith… That’s All You Need

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Having faith is not an easy journey.

Remember, faith is the substance of things hoped for. It’s what keeps us going when the going gets tough.

Faith is like a muscle that is built when pressure is applied .

Whatever you’re facing today friend, just know that the amount of faith you’ll need to overcome, is no greater than the size of a mustard seed. It’s the size that’s big enough to move mountains.

If you’d like to add your perspective on this topic, please leave a comment or feedback below.

Don’t forget to subscribe to be the first to know when new content is added. Your support encourages me to share more of the enlightening perspectives I’ve received on my journey of life.

Thank you for reading. Until next time… may your faith be greater than all your fears.

Take care.

Last updated: July 21, 2023

Integrating Faith In Communication

By Kaydene Green

Let’s be honest – if you’re a Christian, you may have noticed that talking about your faith and God in this post-modern era may have earned you the crazy eyes from onlookers. Even worse than disapproving stares are the death sentences many Christian evangelizers receive around the world. Why is talking about faith so ‘cringy’ or threatening for that matter?

It may be seen as an infringement on the beliefs of others primarily because of our melting pot society of many different races, nationalities and a diverse upbringing and life experiences that carries with them many unique beliefs and values.

Apart from that, many Christians wrestle with the new influences presented by the increase in technological advances which heavily aides in a greater distribution of distorting and unsolicited worldviews.

This kind of hinderance, amongst the many others, causes many believers to find shelter in silence. While many of the faith grow mute, the media plunges forward in it’s pursuit to publish distasteful content for the public to absorb because, well, the number of views and public approvals have become the driving forces to what becomes “viral” and “acceptable” even when the information is far from the truth or damaging.

Some unbelievers are at odds with the faith because, as I’ve heard time after time, Christian teachings appear to be “illogical”. If human logic and reasoning was so great, why then are there so many ethical issues in our world today? Would it then be safe to say human logic is limited?

I’ve never worked in ministry nor am I surrounded by all like-minded individuals every single day, which to be clear, is not in and of itself a bad thing – but when the discussions get intense, it becomes hard not to pull from the knowledge of my Christian worldview. It guides me in all I do and when I fall short of the guidance that had been provided, I run right back to it for correction and redirection.

But then, the moment I reach for my personal faith beliefs, which I believe has many of the solutions for our problems today, the conversations eventually die or never last much longer and the awkward silence soon invades the room.

And so, with every moment that presents itself to talk about my faith, I am left to wonder, “am I going to offend someone with my God-talk today? or “will they think I am crazy?” I’ve hesitated even offering prayer. Why? Because to some of my peers, there’s no one to pray to. “If God is real why is all of this happening?” I get this question all the time and I honestly wish I had the right answer ready. I’ve learned from many real life situations that we do not need all the answers to take the first step towards the unknown, so why should it be any different with the Christian faith?

So, how exactly do we go about telling our “non-religious” friends and family about our own beliefs and experiences of God? Why do we need to do it and what exactly should we really say? How can we prove that what we are saying is even true and if we can, how can we relay it effectively to others? Is there anything that could hinder the process and how do we avoid those hinderances?

As I’ve mentioned, we do not need to have all the answers and we probably never will. A Christian belief will not satisfy the desire for human logic. It is beyond what we will ever be able to make sense of in this life. It does the complete opposite of societal norms which is why it is so necessary to dive into. New actions means new results.

The Beginning Of My Christian Walk

I’ve spent many years learning of God through the experiences of others. My grandmother introduced me to church at the very tender age of 3; if my memory serves me correct; and it could be argued that if I was born in a different part of the world, I would hold firmly the values of a different religion.

But what good are speculations?

Knowing what I know about the teachings in the bible, I am grateful this faith chose me.

Let me be real with you, I’ve had moments of doubts that I don’t even know if I believe in what I say I believe in. Many people of faith may have experienced this at some point in their journey. The mass media, (mainly social media) is notoriously known for information and worldview overload. It takes me 3-5 business days (a running joke I have with some friends) to catch up and all the videos and links I receive. If I’m are not careful, the opinions presented in these posts soon permeates into my daily routine and unknowingly could begin to shape the way I behave.

I did life on my own terms for many years and learned hard and fast that I could not rely on my own human strength and reasoning. I made many disastrous mistakes and yes, it is indeed true that experiences can be our greatest teacher, but had I have my own personal relationship with God and had spent time in the profound teachings of scripture, I could have avoided many of the traumatic situations I’ve had to live through.

With that said, where do we really start?

The Foundation of The Christian Faith

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In William Fore’s article titled “A Theology of Communication”, Fore states that: “There are several Christian doctrines, derived from the witness of Scripture, Christian tradition, and the reflection of Christians today, which bear directly on the role of communication in society. They are: creation and stewardship; sin and redemption; the newness of life; good news and proclamation; and Christian witness.“

Lets dive into these doctrines:

Creation – The book of Genesis provides an account of the events of creation. It is here that God’s authority is established (source). God created the world and ultimately created us in his image. God placed man in the garden of Eden to be good stewards of what He created.
Sin – Sin entered the world (again in the book of Genesis) through the disobedience of Adam. Sin is a result of human rebellion against God. The extent of sin goes far and wide (universal). As a result, God sent His only son, Jesus, (John 3:26) to sacrifice His life in order to redeem human relationship with God. A fallen world is evident in many ways. Have you seen the news lately?
Salvation (Newness of Life) – Christians believe that through Jesus’ sacrifice, we have been granted a renewed relationship with God but to experience the fullness, we must receive this gift. (Romans 10:9-10)
Good News (Proclamation) – through Jesus’ ascension, we are promised the gift of the holy spirit who is our guide to living in this broken world and when that time comes to an end, to spend eternity in God’s kingdom. (Mark 16:15 & Romans 1:16)
Witness (Sharing through communication) – this is why you are reading this blog today or have even experienced someone in the streets sharing how God revealed Himself to them. Had I never been exposed to the faith or someone making it a determinant to communicate what they belief, I would have been living life hopelessly.

Applying What We Believe

Learning what the bible tells us is possibly the easiest part of the Christian faith. Anyone can do that. To bring this knowledge to full potential however, we must apply what we have read. How do we go about doing this?

Allowing ourselves to experience God mainly through His word. We learn the nature of the God of Christianity through careful study of the scriptures. I’ve noticed a difference with how I handle my day when I have not spent time in the word as opposed to when I do.
Through worship – Attending church services gives us an opportunity to gather together with raised hands and open hearts to worship the creator of the universe, but there are many other ways we can worship God.
Through serving – The foundation of Jesus’s mission was to serve us and through his example we too can learn how to serve others.

How Do We Get To Know God?

All around us are revelations of God. Christianity is about walking by faith and not just by what we can see (2 Corinthians 5:7). I know, telling you what I know about the Christian faith may not be appealing. “How can you prove any of this?” is a common question I get. Truth is, I cant always prove the information presented in the history books are presenting me with accurate information, but truth has a way of revealing itself. God is the author of truth. Scripture was written by men, but inspired by God. I know, hard to believe and possibly why many are skeptical about the information presented, but in taking some time to get acquainted with the bible, I’ve proven that it is indeed inspired by God. A college professor I had many years ago said that the bible is the only book that people question and has doubts about. If a best-seller book is advertised with raving reviews, the chances of it being purchased is high without any questions.

God created everything, including the universe. For us to understand the universe, we have to study it. As a result we have science and science, as I’ve heard some time ago, is really God’s way of giving us an idea of how He did it.

The best way to get to know God and to communicate Him to others, begins in scripture and with prayer. Effective communication is a two-way process. If we never tap into the spiritual aspect of our being and connect with a source greater than ourselves, How will we ever know what He is trying to say to us?

God Communicates Through…

Nature – Is there anything about nature that was known to mankind without careful study? I’m not an expert on the details of nature, but take a moment to look outside and see the wonders of God’s creation.

The Church – All of creation is potentially a mediator of divine disclosure, but the church is the community which possess the greatest potential for communication about God.

The written word, The Bible – The greatest source of communication authority is through the scriptures. But to understand it, we need the divine help God sent us when Jesus ascended.

Why People Don’t Experience God

Like any thriving relationship, there needs to be communication. Effective communication involves speaking or relaying the message as well as listening to the respnse. Have you tried whispering a message to someone who was miles away? How effective was that? Did they need to come closer to hear? Isn’t this possibly the same with the God of the universe?

How Should Christians Communicate God?

How to overcome the noise of fear, doubt, and confusion can be a tough one to do. We are called to evangelize and share the goodness of God. We can share of God through our actions, our own experiences of God, through what we do and in how careful we are with what we say.

Danny Gokey has a really neat song on communicating faith. If you are an unbeliever and you’ve made it this far in this continually developing blog, I pray you experience a God who desires to communicate with you. For my likeminded readers, share your faith communication story. What do you believe and how do you relay your beliefs. What can you add that will edify others?

If you’d like to learn more about Christian Theology of Communication check out “A Theology Of Communication by William F. Fore”.

Dont forget to subscribe below for new content as soon as they are relaeased. Until next time. Have a blessed week.

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February 1, 2022 0

Stay In Which Lane?

By Kaydene Green

My Mistake

A few minutes after driving off the DMV parking lot after officially passing my Florida driver’s license exam, I almost got into a car accident that would have been entirely my fault. What made it even worse was the fact that the car I was driving was not even mine. I almost failed myself and the person behind me, (not to mention the owner of the car), by switching lanes without taking the necessary steps to ensure that the lane I wanted to reposition myself into was clear for me to merge into. I made an impulsive decision out of fear of missing my fast approaching left turn because I was still heavily relying on a gps at the time to guide my trips every step of the way.

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The irony of the ‘close call’ was that prior to doing the exam, I received an advice that still echoes loud in my mind after hearing it so many years ago. The advice was that, “switching lanes is one of, if not, the biggest cause of motor vehicle accidents so be careful to check your blind spot before you move over into another lane“.

I am almost certain that with all the new technological advancements in our world today, distracted driving may now have topped that list. But, that is still beside the point. I did not listen well or somehow had forgotten the advice and failed to take the proper “lane changing” precautions and found myself mindlessly merging into a lane I did not belong in.

Shaken up and embarrassed after receiving the disapproving deafening horn honk from the disgruntled driver on the left back side of my miscalculated decision, I nervously made an attempt to apologize for the almost catastrophic event by leaning out of the driver’s window with surrendered hands and an apologetic posture. Unfortunately for me, she was not having any of it and made it clear with rolled eyes and the lack of eye contact that my attempt of an apology was not welcomed. Ouch!

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At that point there was nothing else I could have done. I had almost ruined both of our morning. Obviously, in her mind it seemed, there was nothing I could have said that would have justified the “stupid” decision I made. So, like a dog with a crushed spirit walking off with it’s tail tucked away, I rolled my window up and humbly and carefully made my way back home.

Between the high of the celebration, the anxiety of missing my turn and my overly confident desire to change lanes, the complacency of not checking my blind spot almost became the cloud on a beautiful sunny day. All because I was moving into a lane I had no business in at the time.

Photo by Craig Adderley

Stay In Your Lane

While we are on the topic of changing lanes, I’d like to share the information that Florida law requires you to Move Over a lane — when you can safely do so — for stopped law enforcement, emergency, sanitation, utility service vehicles and tow trucks or wreckers.

“Sweep in front of your own door”
German Proverb

Often times when we hear the words “stay in your lane“, it is usually in reference to the command of minding your own business. It can be quite the irritant (to me), when others meddle in matters that does not concern them. Maybe you’ve been the one to do the meddling. As for me, If I am not careful about my own approach on this topic, I get so caught up in minding my own business that I forget to ask the right questions for the sake of becoming enlightened.

Like the Florida law makes clear, there are times when moving over into a lane other than the one you are in, is unapologetically warranted. This is not something we put into perspective as it pertains to people getting into the details of our business. It feels more like a nuisance to be asked personal questions or to be put into a position to have to think about things you had no intentions of being concerned with. Context should be taken into consideration however.

What is the purpose and the intention of someone slithering their way out of their lane into mine? Is it to gain information so they can discuss it behind my back with others who does not, by the slightest, wish that I succeed? Or is it to find out enough to get to know me to offer support or a helping hand? Our own hard wired worldviews may determine the answers to these questions unless of course you have chosen the route of learning the facts about the people in question.

It Is Ok To Step Out of Your Lane

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Galatians 6:2 encourages us to share each others’ burdens and I do not see how we can accomplish this without stepping out of our own situation and circumstance, even for a short time, to selflessly focus on the concerns of others to uplift them in the way that is best suited for their specific need. This sounds like switching lanes to me, but only when the time is right and when the attempt is to benefit other drivers on the road. With self serving intentions, we may find ourselves in lanes we have no business in that proves to be very harmful for all involved.

When choosing to change lanes or to work our way into a situation that has absolutely nothing to do with us, it is a good idea to remember that our intrusion is only meaningful when the purpose is to uplift others or to expand our understanding of a situation in order to handle it better for the benefit of everyone involved. That is my personal conviction of a new perspective.

Your Lane, Your Unique Journey

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Another way we can look at the topic of staying in our lanes, is to remember that we all have our own race to run with the unique talents we were gifted. I’ve learned one important element of running my own race is to maintain my gaze on my own actions within my assigned lane. To explain this better, I’ve linked a video below that has within it excellent encouragement on how to “stay in your lane”. I’ve found the advice quite useful and you may too.

Whether we are mindlessly wondering in someone else’s business for selfish reasons, being distracted by the journey of the people around us or seeking knowledge in understanding how to be the support system others need, staying in your lane should be considered within it’s appropriate context.

Were you ever told to stay in your lane? What does it mean to you? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Don’t forget to subscribe for new content as soon as they are released. Until next time, have a blessed week.

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December 3, 2021 0

Tag: faith