Cynics

It is easy to be cynical, believing that what you see is what you get.  Cynicism leaves faith out of living.  When I meet a cynic, I ask if they have ever had faith in anything.  Most will say that the only one to have faith in would be themselves.  I like to mess with people,so,  I respond by asking if they have ever let themselves down. You can guess the answer.  How do you get rid of cynicism in a world full of cynics?

One thing I know is that faith is contagious in places where people help people to overcome the challenges of life.    On my latest list of places to visit  . . . is the local Children's Hospital . . . Doernbecher.  The team at Doernbecher assigned to take care of Madelyn always ends the appointment with encouragement for what can be.  We not only walk away with hope but also with faith.

Even so, the promises of what can be are often so far removed from what we see in the moment.  It is why I like the question Mary, the mother of Jesus, asks the angel. Straight forward, to the point, she asks:

"How can this be,
since I am a virgin?"
(Luke 1: 34 NRS)

 Part of faith is seeking the answer to that question, "How can this be?"

The answer comes down to the fact that God is not limited by our limitations. We would respond differently to most of life situations, if, we  could see more . . . a broader view . . . than what we see in the moment.  The thing is . . . God has given us the ability to see beyond the moment . . . and ourselves through faith. 

Faith is defined in Hebrews 11.  Study the first three verses: Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (Hebrews 11: 1-3, TNIV)

So.  How do we live in faith rather than cynicism in this cynical world? The best way to leave cynicism behind and to begin living in faith is to take one step in faith . . . and then another step . . . and another  . . . until we become sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  Faith is a process of letting go of what we see through our limitations and developing a perspective through the presence and power of God.

Let go of cynicism.
See what can be through the presence and power of Christ.
Walk in faith.

Learning to KickStart the day in  faith,
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie L. Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)