Faith

What is it and how to get it? And once we have it, how do we keep it?

Faith has always been a personal thing. I don't know how theologians, philosophers, religious leaders, or anyone else that might be important in this realm, have defined faith. But I know that it's something that I often rely on, completely. Sadly though, it is also one thing that I lose sight of in times of complacency.

I can't begin to define what faith is to me without first describing the times that I have faith first. The single most remarkable leap of faith was when I relied on God to help me through letting go of my first love. I had faith in Him that this was not an end of my only encounter with love, and that I was not making the biggest mistake of my life. I had faith that I was to never regret it. And I had to have faith that I would be in love again. I had to really believe that God had a plan for me through all of this, and that He would deliver me into something that was good.

Other moments of sheer faith is when I embark on something new. Something strange and unfamiliar. I have to rely on my faith in God to know that this is the best thing for me. Whether it was the start of college and meeting new people, choosing my academic focuses, or the time and commitments that I put into servicing the community, all of it was based and rooted on the fact that God would have the power to make something great out of the choices and commitments that I was making. I believed that God would be able to use me in every organization I joined. He would also allow me to make an impacting difference in the the people I encountered.

Because in reality, I have very little talent, skills, or abilities to offer. Not to belittle myself in anyway, or write off my accomplishments over the years. But throughout most of my life, the decisions I made were never because of me. I am no smarter, talented, or better at life than the next person. I can't attribute my intelligence to anything that I've done. Because like most people say, people are born with talent. There's a reason it's called God-given talent.

I can honestly and rationally attribute my educational accomplishments to the family and background that I was born into. (Not something I was responsible for). I would not have had the work ethic and strength in character had I not been born to my parents.

So faith to me is being able to attribute and thank God for all the things that I have today: the people in my life that I was lucky to have met and kept as family, friends, and acquaintances. I have faith that they were put in my life for a reason, and that I'd be able to have a positive impact on their lives. My purpose in relationships and friendships is to bring happiness into their lives. And somehow in ways that I cannot even begin to grasp, I will bring light onto Him and show them the goodness of God.

Keeping faith is something that I have struggled with for a very long. And I know that it will be an inevitable journey that I will go through till my time is done here. I keep my faith in God because when it comes down to the core, I know myself. I am getting to know myself more and more as I grow up.

The honest truth is this: I am a very selfish person. I dislike people underneath it all. I dislike myself too. I get easily scared. I'm insecure. I have trouble persevering in tough times. I give up easily. I am lazy. I get envious and jealous of others. I lust after things that don't belong to me. I am shallow. I judge people. I think badly of those that seem less than me. I think badly of those that are better than me. I feel small.

BUT, with God: I am generous and giving. I give my time and efforts graciously to those that are in need. I like kids and I like the old people. I care about people. I hurt when I hear about their sufferings, and I rejoice in their times of happiness. I commiserate and sympathize with others easily. I focus on myself and how I can improve in my life. And I remain stable and confidant in my abilities. So with faith, I am a remarkable person.

I have the ability to build great nations and create impacting changed in our world. God has put me on a path that is in the making of something incredible. I have the potential to be a leader, a revolutionary... a hero...only with God though. And I don't know if that means in some rural village in Africa, or at an international health organization, or if it's simply in my own household and community. But whatever it is, I will make a lasting impact, change lives, and make the world a better place. It would be such a waste if I forget that and lose my way because I forget to have faith.

So what is Faith? Faith is knowing that we can all be something incredible. Something absolutely beautiful and golden. Someone who shines in a sea of people. We can all be someone's companion, best friend, savior, confidante, and someone who changes the world. It just means that we don't really have the ability to do it on our own. We were given by God the ability to do great things. These talents that we have can only be fully realized once we include God along the way.