Finding Faith

 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of FAITH, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the CHAMPION who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the Joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disreguarding it's shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won't become weary or give up." Hebrews 12:1-3

I love this... as I have recently been struggling with Finding Faith. I pray and pray... and I can sometimes feel like he isn't listening because I am so ready to see a change in the people I love... I am seeking that fire... that desire to follow him with all I have... I have become bored and complacent. So, in seeking FAITH.. I found this scripture... and it occured to me... That I have been Walking. That I haven't put down the weight that I have been carrying. I haven't completely given everything to Jesus.

So, The life of Faith that I want... is exactly what is explained above.

Hebrews 12 says, "We are surrounded by such a crowd of Witnesses to the life of faith..."

 It makes me wonder who those witnesses are in my own life. My family? Yes, they are watching me. They are watching my faith that I have and they are learning from it. My friends? Yes, they too are watching. My Co-workers? Absolutely. Everyone that knows me has a glimpse of my faith with every word I speak and every action I make. This is weight that I have been carrying... That I must be perfect so I do not trip... that I must be perfect to show them who God is...

I must give this weight to Jesus. I must not look for perfection in faith, but look to JESUS because he IS perfection in Faith. However, in this scripture I have also realized this: That faith is a process.

It says that when we look at Jesus, he INITIATES our faith... which means that a process begins... it means that we are growing and being changed from our core. Everything about our life changes when looking at Jesus... and then the witnesses that are seeing our Faith will also change, not by what I am doing, but by what Jesus is doing In Me.

In the long run, I cannot be looking back at the eyes that are looking at me because they will cause me to get off course, but I must look into the face of Jesus, my saving grace that perfects my FAITH, so I can run with endurance...

I can not let the fear of leaving people behind keep me from running... but I can only pray that they will find who I am running to.