Sunday Rockin Chair Thoughts pt 10 November 1, 2009

There are no new trials and situations out there! Problems are common to everyone. Friends, family and strangers; we all face the same challenges everyday. I’ve been through changes that you haven’t – you’ve been through changes that I have yet to face. We’re all at different levels of ignorance so we all have the ability to both teach and learn from each other based on our life’s experiences. We can’t force our will on anyone. We can’t “make” another human being change so sometimes we have to walk away; sometimes we have to walk alone. My daughter has a motto: “F.I.D.O”. An acronym for “Forget It and Drive On”! If there’s nothing you can do about it at the time then … F.I.D.O.
We can’t ever let “bad news” and “negative spins” throw us off our game. We can’t be afraid of the evil in this world. Fear is “faith in the problem” instead of faith in the solution.
F. E. A. R. is an acronym; “False Evidence Appearing Real! Fear is the most complex of all emotions. Fear can be fuel. We should negative thoughts, negative words, negative people, places and things as stepping-stones to get to where we’re going. Anything that says, “You can’t” will be your breakfast. Anything that says, “You won’t” will be your lunch and anything or anyone that says “you’ll never” will be your supper. Use adversity as fuel for the fire that drives you on. Use trials and situations as oil to keep the engine turning smoothly. Your dream has to be bigger than your problems. God put the dream in your heart but you are the contractor who has to build it. Keep hope alive because hope is your blueprint for the dream in your heart. God’s Word and faith in Gods Word provides all the building material you need for the job. You gotta’ be able to “see” the invisible to “do” the impossible and if you can dream it you can do it!

There are two major reasons we fail. The first is … “trying” and the second is … “not trying!” That brings “fear” into play here; fear of the unknown. Fear stops “motivation” dead in its tracks. We become afraid of “change” and “change” is life’s compass. Do I hit a home run every time I step into the batter’s box? No. Do I strike out every turn at bat? No. Does either uncertainty keep me from batting? No. What guarantee do I have that I won’t fail? Hebrews 11:1 is a good place to start. I can say with certainty that I know I can succeed. What evidence do I have? I have faith; faith is my evidence! My faith is the vision that I see in myself. I “see” myself hitting a home run. I step into the batters box with hope. My faith is proof that I can hit a home run so I swing at the ball with courage. Faith is like a muscle … the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets and the stronger it gets the more you want to use it because it has the strength to get the job done with less effort. There’s a mountain between me and where I need to be. Faith can move that mountain so I don’t waste time and effort climbing or going around it. When you experience faith “moving a mountain” out of your way you’ll never be the same.

Jesus referred to “ye of little faith”. The word “little” means “weak”. “Weak faith” considers the problem. Peter “stepped out of the boat” with strong faith and he walked on the water until his focus shifted to the wind and the waves - he “considered the storm” around him – his fear of the storm changed his perception of the truth and he sank into the water with weak faith. Fear and faith cannot occupy the same space at the same time. The Bible says Abraham was “fully persuaded” meaning there was no doubt – no fear – no unbelief. Impossible? No; it just takes practice and commitment. Building strong faith is no different than when I learned to play guitar. I practiced every day and when I achieved notoriety for my ability – I kept practicing! It’s amazing to me that after all these years of playing guitar I learn something new every time I pick it up and play it. Peter had strong enough faith to actually walk on water. When he took his eyes off of the dream he still had faith; it just wasn’t strong enough to keep him on the water … you might say his faith was watered down! The storm became bigger than his faith. His focus shifted to his five senses and what his eyes could see rather than looking through the eyes of faith which “see’s” the things that we hope for but are not yet manifested. It was dark when God said, “let there be light.” The light was “in God” - God’s faith “saw” light in the Universe - Gods faith was released by His words and then, there was light. Some people become afraid to try because - in their mind - they already “see” themselves failing; or they “think” there’s a possibility of failure.
Proverbs 23: 7 says “As a man thinks in his heart so is he”. Thoughts create reality in our mind - faith is the substance of the things we hope for in life. If our thoughts stay focused on faith; we walk on the water. Even though the storm is raging all around us; we walk on the water. Even though the 120 mph wind and the 50ft waves are very real; we walk on the water and we walk right on through the circumstance. The storm will come to an end and we will outlast it. Faith is our proof – faith is our title deed to the desires of our heart. Faith activates all the resources of Heaven and at the same time keeps the “spiritual outlaw” in the dark because the outlaw is carnally minded; his power lies in the realm of the five senses. Faith operates beyond and outside the sense realm. If we put our faith in the information received from our five senses we’ll sink. If Peter would have listened to his five senses – he would have never stepped out of the boat in the first place!

We’ve all heard “I’ll believe it when I see it.” But faith says, “I see it because I believe it.” I “see” myself crossing the finish line before I put my running shoes on; I “feel” the banner across my chest as I cross the finish line before I even put my feet in the starting blocks. I “hear” the crowd cheering me on before I set foot on the track. I “see” it, through the eyes of faith and that is my substance and my reality. As I said, we have to be able to “see” the invisible to “do” the impossible; to hit the home run. Failure draws just as much attention to us as success. We “become” successful or we “become” a failure but what we allow ourselves “to become” is our choice. Falling down is no problem … staying down becomes a problem … to us and everyone in our lives. Our ego can handle success but our pride cannot handle failure. Fear sets in and we wig out! We can be poor or we can be powerful but we can’t be both at the same time … the choice is ours to make. Life is a journey, not a destination.

So many people become content, complacent, weary or just plain indifferent. They pull over to the side of the road and never go any further. They see no need to move on and so their dreams - along with their life - die slowly; like suicide in slow motion. Their purpose is never fulfilled. Their “gift” is never given. Their talent and ability … never exposed. “Big deal; so who care’s?” I DO. You have a gift for me … you’re a courier for a deed that may change my life. You’re a blessing. You’re a lighthouse that let’s me know where the rocks are. You’re a compass that gives me direction at just the right time and keeps me from turning on the wrong road … so where are you?