Writing about faith is not a simple task; it feels hard and ethereal. There are so many verses, thoughts, and opinions on faith. It’s easy to get lost or overwhelmed while trying to put faith in an easy-to-understand piece of writing.

And, if I’m being honest, there’s a line from a song that goes through my head from time to time: “Gotta have faith…” And no, not the George Michael version. Totally the Limp Bizkit/screaming version. (It was released in 1997, and now I feel old.)

Back to faith… it’s the theme of our second week of Advent. In Shadow & Light, author Tsh Oxenreider links faith to preparation. She writes about being slow to set up Christmas decorations during this stage, in part “to symbolize the faith we have in our good God, who provides the world with redemption through Jesus. We can rest in hope that God will meet us in due time with all we need.”

This is a picture of faith. Believing in a good God who made a way for us to have relationship with Him. Resting in hope that God will come through.

Merriam-Webster.com has some insightful definitions of faith. Here are a few that caught my eye: “belief and trust in and loyalty to God; firm belief in something for which there is no proof, complete trust; something that is believed especially with strong conviction.” It also says that faith comes from the Latin word fidēs, which is “trust, guarantee, proof, sincerity, loyalty, belief.”

So how does the Bible describe it?

“Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6).

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).

“We live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).

“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).

When the disciples asked why they couldn’t drive out a demon, Jesus replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).

We’re called to have faith in God. To walk by faith, not sight. People were healed by Jesus because of their faith. People find salvation through faith.

Faith. You can’t hold it, you can’t see it, but it’s in you. You can feel it in your core. Sometimes you have to stir it up, activate it, but not by your doing – it’s by your being. Faith is built in the listening and learning, in trust and stillness. In times of uncertainty, it’s choosing to lean into God and spend time in His presence, reading His Word and worshiping Him.

Before you continue reading, take a few minutes to pause and reflect. What does faith mean to you? What does it look like? What does it feel like? How would you describe it?

To me, faith means…

• My eyes are fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). My focus is fastened on the unseen/eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18). Hebrews 11:27 says that “Moses persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.” By faith, I can keep going; my gaze is locked on Him, and I’m taking steps toward Him.
• I’m fighting the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Timothy 4:7). Which means there is tension. You have permission to hold fear and doubt and pain in one hand, and faith and hope and love in the other. Simultaneously. Hold on to faith as you explore your feelings.
• I’m standing firm with my shield of faith, surrounded by support (seen or unseen). Ephesians 6:16 says, “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” Sometimes it’s the people in your life that come alongside you and add their faith to yours – they help you hold up your shield of faith. My thirteen-year-old daughter has been writing each person in our family a sticky note every day as we count down to Christmas. For today’s quote, she chose this one for me: “Good friends are like stars. You don’t always see them, but you know they’re always there.” That looks like faith to me!
• Freedom. Faith is not restricted by rules or religion; faith makes us free to love and be loved. Free to trust and believe without tangible proof. This may look like dancing, singing, resting; it may feel radical or upside-down (but it doesn’t matter). It’s all for the One who gave it all to be near to us.

In this season of being stretched, I’m finding that faith is not about performance. My faith is being tested apart from my works. My faith is being tested in the unseen things, in the darkness, in the loneliness of this space.

Remember, faith is not in the seen things. It goes so much deeper. It’s about your heart. Your communion with God. Your belief and trust in Him.

Today is my 15th wedding anniversary, which again makes me feel old. But it also stirs my faith. Jon and I have chosen to walk by faith, sometimes through dark valleys and sometimes over mountains. There have been incredible adventures and extremely hard moments. Joy and pain. Intimacy and heartache. But together, we hold on to faith, hope, and love. We keep showing up, even when we don’t see on the outside what we believe on the inside.

“Now God has us where He wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all His idea, and all His work. All we do is trust Him enough to let Him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish!” – Ephesians 2:7-8 (The Message)

This week’s song suggestions:

• Give Me Faith by Elevation, covered by Jon Wright
• God I Look to You by Jenn Johnson