What is faith? We hear that word a lot in church, but it has multiple definitions. Commonly, people use the word "faith" to define their belief in God. Which is a correct use of the word, but I want to talk about a different definition. I want to talk about a faith that goes beyond our doubts. A trust in someone greater than ourselves. An assurance about what we can't yet see.
Over the years, faith is something I've had to put into use many times. Darkness will inevitably come, but faith is like a light. It's trusting in something we know is true, even while we can't see beyond our circumstances. Put another way by the renowned author and speaker John Mark Comer, "Faith is based on knowledge. It's a kind of deep trust in God that is grounded in reality."
When we're going through a challenging situation, reality might be constantly changing. But thankfully, we can know for sure that God is a reality that will never change. He is good, and He's faithful. Through Him, we can have a trust and faith that goes beyond our circumstances.
John Mark goes on to say, "All of us live by faith. To have faith in something is simply to live as if it's true. It means to put your trust in something or someone and remain loyal to it. The question isn't, 'Do you have faith?' But 'Who or what do you have faith in?'" We can choose to put our faith in so many different things. I've chosen to put my faith in Jesus. And I want to invite you to do the same.
This month, I want to highlight three songs that relate to faith. These are songs that you can cling to when you're needing some reassurance. I hope and pray that through this article and these songs, you'll be able to cultivate an attitude of faith. Ultimately, faith is how we can weather the storms of life.
Jordan Feliz, "Faith"
There was a time in my life where faith was hard to find. For five years, my family and I were at a small church, and near the end of that season, things got really tough. I felt stuck, and things felt hopeless. Sunday's felt cold and dark. I didn't know what to do, and I felt like I would be in that place forever. It was depressing and exhausting in so many different ways. Faith was a word that was barely in my vocabulary. I had faith that sometime in the distant future, I might get to the other side. Perhaps I didn't have faith that where I was at was where I needed to be. I didn't realize that God was using it all to grow and shape me, and I would become stronger through it.
I remember being in the car one night, driving past the middle school theater our church was meeting at. The radio was on, and the song playing happened to be "Faith" by contemporary singer Jordan Feliz. As I was gazing out the window staring right in the face of my problems, I was listening to the words, "Learning to love where you are right now, you just gotta have faith."
At that moment, I realized--I'm going to make it. My current situation isn't the end of the story. And even through the heartache, I can learn to love where I'm at right now. I can choose to see the beauty right in front of me. I didn't need to love the direness of my situation, but I could learn to love the good in it. Because truly, even when I can't see it, there is good in every situation.
Did my circumstances immediately change once I learned to adopt an attitude of faith? No, it took time. I still had moments of desperation--moments where I wished I was somewhere else. But, standing on the other side of that season, I can tell you this: I made it. And whatever you're standing in the middle of right now, I know you're going to make it, too. It just takes time and a lot of faith.
Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) says, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." Although you might not be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel from your position right now, it's there. Your breakthrough is coming. Keep hoping. Keep waiting. Don't lose faith.
"It's light for the shadows, for all your tomorrows/It's knowing He's there through the sun and the rain/It's when you believe it before you can see it/And you can walk on 'cause he's making a way/Just gotta have some faith."
JUDAH., "Don't Know If I Believe It"
One of my favorite songs is called "Don't Know If I Believe It" by pop artist JUDAH. It touches on a subject that a lot of artists are afraid to talk about--doubt. The song perfectly displays this tug-of-war between faith and doubt. It can be hard to accept that even after all of our faults and failures, Jesus still loves us. It can be hard to believe. But, we're not alone in our doubt. In fact, there's a certain disciple who has become known for struggling with doubt.
The disciple Thomas gets a bad rap. In our 21st century culture, we tend to refer to him as "Doubting Thomas." After Jesus' resurrection, Jesus appeared to all of His disciples. But for some reason, Thomas wasn't there. When the disciples came back and reported the news to him, he made that infamous statement in John 20:25 (NIV), "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."
Clearly, he was struggling to believe that Jesus was truly alive. One week passes by, and Thomas still hasn't seen Jesus. I wonder what he went through during that week. He was probably wrestling and fighting with so many different thoughts. "Could it really be true?" he must've thought. "Could Jesus actually be alive?"
Then, the moment happens. The disciples were all together, and this time Thomas was with them. And Thomas has a radical, life-changing encounter with the risen Savior. "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe," Jesus tells him in John 20:27. At that moment, his doubt was replaced by faith. Thomas exclaims, "My Lord and my God." He caught a glimpse of Jesus.
There's a lot we can learn from Thomas. For one thing, we can be assured that doubt is something we all deal with. As strange as it may sound, I've found that faith and doubt go hand-in-hand. You can't have one without the other. As backward as that may seem, it's true.
Confusion and questions are part of humanity. And we don't need to be afraid of that. But, once we catch a glimpse of Jesus, we can't help but believe. We can't help but have faith.
Once we recognize that He is good and He is faithful, we can begin to trust. We can develop an attitude of faith when we see that Jesus has an attitude of faithfulness. American author and Christian evangilist Priscilla Shirer once said, "It's okay to ask God questions without questioning Him." Doubt doesn't make God love you less. Doubt is where God shows Himself the best. And ultimately, it will lead to faith.
"You said you'd never leave me, that nothing could ever stop your love/You'd up and move a mountain just to tell me that you're not far/But I don't know if I believe it/But I don't know how to receive all that you give/But I don't know how else to say this/Somehow I keep falling more in love with you."
Danny Gokey, "Stand In Faith"
Once we adopt an attitude of faith, we need to continually stand on it. It's easy to let the lies of the world contradict our faith. We can fall into the trap of thinking that God isn't capable of handling our situation. The enemy wants nothing more than to distort our view and make us believe something about God that isn't true. That's why our foundation needs to be built upon God and His truth. Not upon the enemy and his lies. Unfortunately, the lies of the enemy are always going to surround us. But we don't have to stand in them. Instead, we can choose to stand in the truth; we can stand in faith.
Ultimately, having faith is a decision that we all have to make. We can shrink back in fear, or we can stand in faith. In the end, standing in faith is going to make us stronger. Faith is believing in a reality beyond what you can see. It's believing that God is faithful, and He's going to get you through whatever you're facing. In the words of contemporary artist Danny Gokey's new song "Stand In Faith," "This is where light cuts through the dark/This is where I see who You are/Nothing's impossible." Nothing is too hard for God. Simply believing in that is an act of faith.
It doesn't matter where you're at or how much faith you think you have. When the disciples wanted more faith, Jesus replied in Luke 17:6 (NIV) with, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you." Your faith might begin with some doubt, and your faith may be small right now. What matters is that you keep holding on to it. Cling to it--cling to Jesus. Your breakthrough is coming.
"I will stand in faith (eyes on You)/Walk by faith (for my breakthrough)/Live by faith (before You move)."
Grace Chaves has been a fan of all things Christian music since 2016. She is NRT's news editor, and one of NRT's youngest writers. Homeschooled, Grace is an author, loves Jesus, concerts, and road trips.
NEW!BEHIND THE SONG
#1263 - Hannah Kerr
The artist shares the story behind her powerful anthem of grace
ADVERTISEMENT
NEW!THE ESSENTIALS
Big Daddy Weave
NRT's Kevin Davis dives into some of the band's essential songs
NEW!STAFF VOICES
Mental Health Music
The NRT team shares songs that shed light on the struggle
NEW!AN NRT WAYBACK EDITORIAL
10 Classic "Rain" Songs
10 classic Christian hits that use rain imagery in their lyrics
NEW!NRT EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Sean Rodriguez
His journey from family pastor to chart-topping musician
