Look at your check book, look at your calendar, and you’ll soon discover what you have faith in.
No, it’s not in your name, your profession, your family status, or your church affiliation. Just examine where you’re spending your money and your time, and the results will say more about the compass of your faith than anything.
This may sound like a circle, but it’s really an upward spiral that begins with what we believe affecting how we behave, and how we behave affecting who we become, and that further influencing what we believe. And it all renews with what we believe, which is why it’s so important to work on your belief system, to be real in your faith.
Do you believe that how you’re currently spending your time and money is adding value to your life’s purpose? Is your faith deep enough to bolster you to invest in yourself through both these criteria and move you to the next level? A comment I once heard from the late Dr. Stephen R. Covey hit me squarely… You can diagnose problems from the outside in, but you can only cure them from the inside out. Look deep. That’s where our faith resides.
Here’s a good example. Because I’m a lifetime learner, I’m taking a masters class right now in which I would argue tht 95% of people have done 20% of the assignments. In this case they paid their money, and they show up for class. They are capable and competent. But they don’t put in the time to read the material and do the assignments. They go through certain motions without the faith-fueled effort to get the most out of the course.
People who believe in what they’re doing will act under that premise, make choices in that mindset, and move in the direction of a goal. People who do not believe in their purpose will act under that premise, make choices in that mindset, maybe not move at all, or worse yet, move with crippling mediocrity.
But the people with real faith are not thrown off course by the bumps in the road or a few failures. That’s right– failures. So you fell on your face. Do you believe what you believe or not? When we say yes and mean it, we get back up and start spiraling. We recommit with our money and our time.
So… what do you ‘really have faith in’ – Hint: Check your calendar and checkbook. Have a great 2016!