The EVIDENCE of FAITH

Today is "Thankful Thursday"...Be aware and EXPRESS your thanks TODAY!

If you've not been following the blog this week, be sure to go back and catch up beginning with Monday's article - each article this week has built and been an extension of the previous day's article.

Although I've been mostly using the Bible's definition of faith found in Hebrews 11:1, ("Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.") I have been making applications about our experiences as we try to get closer to reaching our goals and dreams. Is there a spiritual application to be made? Absolutely! And I will be sharing some thoughts on that in Friday's article entitled, "The APPLICATION of Faith".

Yesterday we discussed the SUBSTANCE of FAITH and realized that faith is NOT "careless living" and even though faith does not demand proof there is SUBSTANCE behind the actions we take based on our faith. Again, if you've not read yesterday's article, be sure to do so in order to get the "connection" between the two.

According to that Biblical definition shared above, not only is there SUBSTANCE to faith but there is also EVIDENCE involved. Remember, I'll be discussing the spiritual aspects of this on Friday, but even for today's thoughts some of you may have a hard time connecting the idea of "evidence" with "faith".

Let me ask you a question that hopefully will clarify this dilemma. Why would ANYONE jump out of a perfectly good airplane - especially for fun??? Yeah, it's called "parachuting" and people do it all of the time. Believe it or not, even though I am very afraid of heights, there is a part of me that wants to experience this before I die. Thing is, I'm worried I just might die of a heart attack from the shock as soon as I am pushed out of that plane! (That's right - PUSHED!).

Are you 100% sure that the parachute is going to open? NOPE.  Is there a chance that it WON'T open or that it won't open correctly and that you could either be killed or seriously injured? YUP!

So, jumping out of an airplane, even WITH a parachute on your back, demands a bit of faith on your part, does it not? And, that FAITH is based on the EVIDENCE that, more often than not, the parachute WILL WORK! If you really don't believe that it will open - if you don't have FAITH that it will open - you will NEVER jump out of that plane unless you're more certain that you will die if you remain ON that plane. Right?

So it is as we move toward our goals and dreams. Even though it may seem like a far stretch (remember, it IS important to push ourselves and to "stretch" with these endeavors) for you to achieve whatever it is that you have set up as your goal/dream, you do it anyway.  However, along with the SUBSTANCE that we discussed yesterday, there should also be some EVIDENCE to go along with your faith or belief that you can and/or WILL achieve success.

Chances are that you have been shown or have seen others that have done the same thing that you are trying to accomplish and they have been successful in doing so. They don't just TALK about it, they've DONE it!

Is there any guarantee that the same success awaits you? NOPE. Is there a chance that you will fall short of your goals/dreams and that you could even lose some or a lot of money along the way and fail miserably? YUP.

But, based on the SUBSTANCE that we talked about yesterday, mixed in with the EVIDENCE that we have talked about today, you still have to step out on FAITH, believing that this, too, can be true for you IF you are willing to put out the effort necessary (the evidence of others will point this out to you) to make it happen.

So, yes, even with SUBSTANCE and EVIDENCE, moving in this way still demands FAITH!

I'd love to hear your comments about this topic and on what has been shared this week. You can contact me directly via e-mail (mike@futureyouuniversity.com) OR via the website (http://www.futureyouuniversity.com/ or http://www.michaelspillman.com/ ) or by leaving a message here on this blog OR by leaving a message on our fan page (www.facebook.com/futureyouuniversity) . I really would prefer you to leave it on the fan page but I would love to hear from you in any of these ways.

I hope you'll join me again tomorrow as I make the spiritual application to all of this. Until then, as you go through your day, be sure to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike