The Big 5نموونە

Day 10: Do You Really Believe?

Throughout the past forty-plus years of my life, I have learned to grow in my belief and dependence on God. Belief has become the foundation of my life. Belief stirs hope. Belief responds to faith. Belief grows.

Everyone believes something. Beliefs might be good for us, or they might be detrimental. Regardless, beliefs affect our lives in both seen and unseen ways. Many times, our disappointment, frustration, and hurt are the results of our beliefs about God and ourselves.

The foundational beliefs you have learned over the past week—God is Good, I have a Purpose, nothing is impossible with God, I am responsible for me, and greatness comes in serving—are just the beginning.

It’s important to know what you believe about the Word of God, the Power of Love, the role of the Holy Spirit, and the Source of your identity.

It’s important to understand what you truly believe about the importance of church attendance, your role in the body of Christ, the spiritual disciplines of Communion and Baptism, and the role of giving.

Take time to honestly assess what you believe and ask yourself whether your beliefs have been shaped by others’ opinions, your personal experiences, the knowledge you’ve gained—or by the Word of God. Evaluate those beliefs and ask yourself if they line up with the Word of God. Does the Word of God trump everything else in your life or is it always followed by a “but . . . ?”

Our belief systems change over time. Hopefully, they align more and more with the Word of God every day. When they do, we will walk with confidence because we know where we belong, who has made us significant, and our Eternal Security in Christ. Knowing our beliefs keeps us from allowing this broken world to incorrectly affect us emotionally, relationally, and spiritually.

We will end with a few Scriptures that I hope will convince you of your belief in God, His Word, and Jesus our Savior:

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).

“Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said” (John 2:22).

“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed’” (John 8:31).

“I shall pray [to] the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God” (John 16:27).

Jesus has many things to say about belief. Take time and work through the Gospel of John and find all of the times He speaks of belief. Let your belief be transformed through your relationship with Jesus and the words He speaks!

Thank you so much for joining me on this ten-day journey. I hope I've helped you start thinking differently about the importance of conforming your beliefs to the Word of God and the values you live by that will help you along the way. If you're hungry for more, I encourage you to check out my book on the topic that goes into much deeper detail, The Big 5, Beliefs that Transform, by visiting big5book.com.

Sincerely,

Mitch Ivey