The Power of Simple Faith: How It Can Transform Your Life
Each morning brings a new fresh start, filled with wonder to await the day. A typical day for me begins with the awakening of nothing grandeur but a presence by my side- an alarm clock. While my soul fights the grunginess of yesterday's pain, and tasks from the previous day. Somehow each day’s tone set by the alarm became my morning routine. With the usual cadence I continue to fight to stay in bed a little longer, wiggling and scattering through the sheets on my skin. I muster enough strength to rise because it seems the race begun. If I do not rush to it, I may get a late start to the day.
Because there are people who find their mornings with ease as the dew that sits early in the morning while chirping along with their day with the birds.
You know what they say, “the early bird gets the worm.”
If we stray from our routines. Then the feelings of guilt captivate and get us off course.
We value our days as much as we value what defines us.
I was that woman I anticipated the day to be exactly right. Yes, for me it was tea how I preferred, with morning walks and daily prayer to get my day started.
God never intended for us to rely only on routines. He enjoys seeing His daughter productive but not agreeing "sameness" measure to productivity.
It was a revelation ambushed with my preferences of what made me who I am did not make me so much. It was not about the routines I should have been aiming towards but about the pauses or "in betweenness" of the day. The Selah moments where I found myself giving my heart to God's goodness.
It started with simple faith. For it takes something as simple as faith to dive into those tasks each day with God's help without meeting the perfect benchmark. But allowing the pain and hurts to embed in the sketch of what God makes his most beauty from the ashes of each day.
It is in the simple faith "I became who God saw before I was formed in my mother's womb" (Isaiah 49:1-2). Learning to not hold tight to the ashes of each day and yield and give them to God daily in thanksgiving, holding tightly unto His newness despite the difficulty we may face.
With the culture and it fast paced claims. We could easily be tempted as daughters of God to run a race that was never ours. A race too tempting and not aligned with purposes God has for us. Although what we may attain may be good, but it is not God's best for us.
Growing through the phases of my life, I admire the wisdom from Solomon's letter, Ecclesiastes "I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happened to them all" (9:11).
We are given chances. What we do with it is not measured by the pressures of time. But more about where we place our value -our Father, God.
I get it, slowing down may seem unlikely for you to do as a wife, mom or even for your career. It is in God's encounters we see the beauty of what simple faith brings. It requires a willingness of our heart to go deeper in the waves God beckons us and not so much the routines. The noise of our to-do list become aligned to hear the melody of God singing over His daughter to not be afraid I have not forsaken you have faith. It will work out. It seems too simple, right? But it is that simple I imagine the woman who battle with her body afflictions 12 years. She too must have looked at the ashes from each day like an impossible case. But her simple faith, brought her to her knees where she saw the beauty in her ashes, channeling her heart to her King, Jesus where she became whole. A presence that refreshed her and gave her a new identity. You and I have this privilege each day. We get to choose simple faith with Christ and become fully alive and more like the Savior. Our identity becomes less of us and more of Him. He does not see it too impossible in our messiness, whether it our homes, cars, or relationships. There is beauty for the ashes of each day if we bring them to Him in simple faith. He allows us to take the weight off us by changing our position in what looks hard-pressed can become pressing to create something new within us.
Waiting with God is good it is not about how much more someone else obtains or gives. It when we choose to surrender our weight and bring it to Jesus and have simple faith. God can use us in a way we could not imagine helping others.
Simple Faith Prayer:
Dear God,
Give us hearts to see you in the deep. Where the outside noise may seem like despair. Let us hold unto you with simple faith. Open our eyes to seek your heart in all we do in each day, in Jesus' name, amen.
