Can I Have Faith Outside of God?
This is a good question. And the answer is yes…sort of.
The Background
Something more than 20 years ago my wonderful wife Sally and I were living in another city. I was working and being treated well, and things were ok except for one minor (or major) problem. The home we were renting was being given to an organization as a charitable donation.
The organization receiving the home was kind and generous, having given us a more than fair amount of time to move. We researched apartments in the area, but really wanted another home because we had two small children. Homes to rent in our price range were scarce. However, we found what seemed to be ideal. A nice place, affordable rent and in a good location.
As I was making final plans to sign the lease and pay the deposit Sally called me and told me not to do so. Keep in mind we had looked quite some time for a place, and we even knew the owner. A bit confused but without question I did exactly what she said. We passed on the almost ideal home.
A few months later I was offered a job in another city. It was an hour and a half away in a place we had never considered. Had we taken the first house we would have been trapped in a lease. I was so glad we had not walked that path.
The Source of Wisdom
On the day that we were preparing to sign the lease Sally said not to do so. Do you know why? Because she didn’t feel it was the right thing to do. Where did she get that impression? From the Holy Spirit. She was (and is) close enough to the Lord that He can whisper to her spirit, and she will obey.
Do you know why I stopped on that day? I didn’t hear from the Holy Spirit. God didn’t whisper to my spirit. I stopped because I have faith. But not only faith in God. Faith that my wife knows the voice of her Father. Faith that she knows to obey His voice. Faith not to doubt her when she brings His Word to me.
“To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.”
1 Corinthians 12:8 NLT
Let’s go back to the original question. Can you have faith outside of God?
Yes…as long as the one you have faith in is listening to the Holy Spirit.
A Challenging Question for Husbands (or Wives)
Let me ask you a question, friend. When your wife (or husband) tells you they feel something is from the Lord, what is your FIRST response? To listen immediately or to question and doubt?
I am NOT saying that everything anyone ever says is “from the Lord” is necessarily so. But I am asking, how much do you trust your spouse’ spiritual hearing? My wife loves me, supports me, and honors me as the spiritual leader in our household. That doesn’t make me proud or haughty, it makes me humble. Humble enough to have faith that when she says the Lord has spoken to her, I have trust…and we follow HER lead.
“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”
Proverbs 12:15 (ESV)
Broadening the Scope
Lest you think this is a post only about marriage, it’s time to widen our focus.
One of the most important factors in a Christlike relationship is mutual, implicit trust. Hear me sisters and brothers. You will never develop the kind of deep, godly friendships that can completely transform your life without giving someone trust without limits. Let me say two things about building this trust.
· It takes time to build this level of trust.
· It doesn’t take as long as we think it does.
It would be safer for me to say that you need years and years of interaction to create deep, unhindered trust. It would be safer because then we could move slowly, holding onto our insecurity, hiding our vulnerability, and staying inside our protected bubble.
But growth isn’t found in safety. Growth is found in stepping out in faith. There are people in my life that I have known for decades with whom I will never have unbridled trust. And there are other people who I met and within just a couple of days, literally less than 24 actual hours of face to face time, we were openly sharing deeply and honestly.
What is the difference?
The Holy Spirit witnessed to both of us that we could have faith that the other could be trusted.
There are friends who are friends, and there is a friend that is closer than a brother.
-Proverbs 18:24 HBPT
Final Thoughts
Faith was defined by Paul as:
“the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
-Hebrews 11:1 ESV
Of course this is a refence to faith in God, but we cannot discount faith in sincere Jesus followers. We, you and I, are the hands and feet of Jesus in this physical world. He works His power and love very frequently through us. You and I, we are sometimes the answer to prayer God is bringing to another person.
And other times we are on the receiving end of the answer to prayer God is bringing through someone we trust implicitly…because we know they also have an unwavering faith in the Faithful One.
If we are unwilling to pay attention to the voice of the Holy Spirit as He speaks through our sisters and brothers, we will surely miss out on much of the good God has for us, and much of the growth He wants for us to better serve His Kingdom.
Take a chance. Take the leap of faith. Trust the new friend. Often, it’s the only way forward into God’s glorious future for you.
Love you Jesus follower!
-Troy
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