Faith and Religion

What is the meaning of faith?

 

Is faith about religion?

 

Do we have to follow a religion to have faith?

 

I like to consider myself a Christian. I believe in God and I go to church most Sundays. I pray to and have my conversations with God.

 

But how much do I really understand about the Christian faith?

 

My confession now is that I don’t read the bible as much as I should. I haven’t study the theology of the Christian faith to any great depth. I very often forget to say grace before taking in food particularly when eating on the go or grabbing a breakfast at McDonalds. I’ve been known to mutter the odd expletive and throw a spanner or two across the room when things don’t go according to plan or I’m running short of time.

 

But does this make me a bad person? (It probably does if that spanner hits somebody on the head.)

 

Does this make me a bad example of Christianity?

 

Does this mean I don’t have faith in God?

 

Despite my faults and failings I believe that I am a good Christian. My intention always is “to treat others as I would like to be treated”. I try to do good deeds for others in the course of a day. I don’t steal, kill or covet my next door neighbours’ gorgeous wife. I provide for my family in an honest manner and don’t tell lies (although sometimes the full story isn’t always revealed). Above all I have a total belief in God.

 

Knowing that God is walking by my side every step of my journey through life is the most important part of being a Christian in my view. This is faith. The fact that I don’t have a deep knowledge of all his works doesn’t stop me from believing in him. It doesn’t stop me from trying to live the Christian way of life. How I live my life and how I treat others is the mark of the person I set out to be.

 

Granted I can open my mind to his works and Jesus’ teachings every single day and no doubt some of my faults and intolerances will be erased in time because of them. But it is not necessary to be fully educated to be a Christian.

 

It could also be said that to have faith you don’t need to be a Christian. Muslims, Hindus and many of the other great religions believe in one God too. And they too try to live good clean and peaceful lives, do good by others and follow in the path of God. Whether Christian, Muslim, Hindu or a follower of some mystic religion we still all have faith.

 

By having faith we have hope for the future, a belief that a good life will prevail, and if we have a positive belief then positive things will happen. Although I love the bits of the bible that I do read and this enthuses me to want to read more, it isn’t necessary to know all the teachings from testaments new and old to have faith. Faith comes from the soul, the subconscious mind. The knowledge that God is there always, any time we want to reach out and find him, is the true meaning of faith.

 

How fantastic is that?

 

Terry Norrington

~ by tnorrington on July 5, 2009.