Belief
At some point, in terms of popularity and common traffic, the word "belief" gave way to the word "faith." "Faith" has become a password into legitimate conversation about things spiritual, Christian or not. In my own heart, I have recently come to discover that faith-talk can easily cover up a weak belief, and that the lack of a functional belief can cut the legs right out from under any professed faith.
What do I believe? Of course, I am referring to the nature of reality, what I think the world consists of, where the nature of power lies, and truth. What are the structures holding up the world, and what is the world being held up? Yes, I suppose these are the usual questions of the major categories of human endeavor and thought, blahzee-blahzee, but the Holy Spirit has been talking to me lately, revealing in me strains of mind that brought me up short, made me ask myself what I really believed, and if I believed at all.
Now, if you're like me, the whole notion of "the Holy Spirit has been talking to me" is enough to cause all sorts of emotional and spiritual twitches. And that's precisely what I'm talking about. A thought comes to mind. From whence does it arise? From ourselves, of course. Yes, but what is the nature of the interaction of prayer? And temptation for that matter? When we pray for "strength" what are we praying for? What do we hope will happen? How are we hoping God is going to do something?
If I say I believe the Holy Spirit of God is living in me, working on me, teaching me, bringing things to mind, "prompting" me (there's one of those Xn catch-phrases that if I can figure out a way to say it better and without all the baggage, I will), convicting me of my sins (comission and omission both), what am I saying? And if He is the Spirit of the Christ, and I am to be like Christ, acting with his "power of attorney" (as my Sunday school teacher suggested last Sunday), what am I saying?
Let's say I'm sitting here wondering what to blog about. I sit quietly and a thought comes to mind. I think, "Okay, I'll blog about that." Here's where the notion of belief and faith comes in. To say the Holy Spirit could have given me that particular thought (of what to blog) is one thing. To say that He did indeed give me that thought is quite another. Which do I believe? Must I believe one or the other to have faith? Well, the good materialist in me says no, it is plenty to acknowledge the fact that He might or might not have, and time will reveal what's true. But here's the catch: the man or woman who says the Holy Spirit might have told them a thing is going to take a different course of action that the man or woman who believes that same Spirit did indeed tell them a thing.
Obviously, the interaction between the human and the divine is mysterious, cause for much care and trepidation (seeing as how the whole notion is driving numerous wars around the globe). I am not suggesting that we simplify it and follow every thought that leaps into our brain as divinely inspired. But I am convinced (there's a strong word for good old ambiguous me) that our minds, ourselves, are arenas of converging energy, converging thought. More than ourselves is at work in those selves, God and Satan alike warring there.
Who will teach us to listen? Who will lead us to believe?
...see the power of the imagination?
8:45:53 AM
