Friday, December 21, 2012

Faith And Worship Are Key To The Successful Christian Life

By Julio Douthit


Christians recognize faith and worship as words they hear often, but truly understanding theses concepts and regularly exercising them are vital for anyone who wants to know God. Without them, there is no real relationship with the creator. And, after all, that is what it is all about.

Faith is defined in the Bible as belief in things unseen. Although God is not visible to earthly eyes, He does want to reveal Himself to His children. One of the strongest persuasions of a personal god is that when we know that God exists, we know it as surely as we know that we exist. This deep conviction makes us trust in a being we cannot see or touch. This knowledge in our hearts is a gift from our Father.

Examples of the faithful include Noah, who labored for one hundred years to build a boat at a time when the world had not yet seen rain. Abraham obeyed God's command to leave his home and later to offer up the only child of his marriage to Sarah. David believed enough in God's protection to fight bears and lions while protecting his father's sheep, to face the giant Goliath, and to refuse to use his own efforts to gain the kingdom of Israel.

Biblical accounts of faithful living describe how God's people faced huge armies, lion's dens, fiery furnaces, prison, and even martyrdom without faltering. This kind of trust and obedience shows a depth of belief that can only be explained by deep commitment to a living deity. It is also rewarding for those who reach this level of understanding.

Your belief needs to be exercised to be real. One of the most important ways we express our knowledge of God and His goodness is through worship. God commands us to praise Him - and He blesses us when we do so. The Psalms are songs of praise that serve as examples to us, and the Bible also encourages us to sing a new song, to tell Him of out love, to dance before Him. Praise and thanksgiving are the sacrifices God asks of us, free offerings from out heart to His glory.

Communicating the joy that our relationship gives us is vital to influencing others. It is also something that God requires of us. Over and over in His word, He asks us to praise Him. Praise is the natural result of our gratitude for all he has done for us, even though we are undeserving of His love because of sin and disobedience. We love Him because He first loved us. Missionary training should reflect these truths.

Faith and worship go together, as exercising both is key to a successful Christian life. Any effort expended in deepening your understanding of these concepts will be amply rewarded. Try it for yourself and see.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment