Learn to Believe

Good morning!

Have you ever thought about concentrating on learning to believe? 

I was reading a book and the author suggested that we have to LEARN to believe. I thought that was profound! Most of us feel that believing is something that you either do or don’t do. Many people try to believe one way but feel another way. The struggle exists between the two.

As Merlin Carothers points out “We can learn, one step at a time, to discard a lifetime habit of believing only what we see or feel. A moment of reflection will convince us that what we see and what we feel are often the complete opposites of what is true.”

He goes on to use the example of the room you are sitting in. Is it moving? The place where you are sitting is whirling through space at thousands of miles per hour. But what you feel and see is not very reliable. 

When we remind ourselves of what God has promised, we can change the way we think. We don’t have to rely on what we see and feel which is often inaccurate. 

Faith often works gradually and because we don’t always get to see instant results, we sometimes give up on what we believe.  “Our feelings nearly always want to overpower our faith in God’s promises……Feelings should not control faith, faith should control feelings. As I learned to practice this principle, many of my old feelings were changed. It definitely wasn’t easy. Old habits die hard.”

When your feelings control your faith, you will often be discouraged. If you believe that God is working good in you, your feelings will follow your faith which is inspiring!

“Doubt brings discouragement and fear. Expectation brings delight.”

The people around you are unlikely to change. Most people go through life without analyzing any of this and then wonder why nothing changes. But you and I can change if we start to pay attention to learning to believe what God says is true and then choosing to feel it!

These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full. John 15:11