Losing the mafia God mentality

Now faith is the substance of things we already have and can see. Is that right? How about, faith is the result of things that we hope for and don’t get because it’s not God’s will. I don’t think that’s right either. As believers, we know that is most definitely not what the Bible says.

Hebrews 11:1 gives us the definition of faith. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” For many believers today, it is not a question of having faith, but having faith in God’s character. When the enemy is unable to effectively rob us of our faith, he seeks to rob us of our faith in who God is. In short, he sets out to assassinate the very character of God.

Reading down into verse two, we see that by faith, the elders obtained a good testimony. Continuing down into verse 6, we know that without faith it is impossible to please him. He who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is rewards those who diligently seek him. We can conclude that by faith, we will obtain a good testimony. We can be assured that God is (the great ‘I am’) and that he is faithful to those who sincerely and diligently seek him with their whole heart.

So, if I, for example, love and trust God with all my heart and faithfully seek him with every fiber of my being, how shall he respond? Picture the almighty living God, sitting on his throne, smiling at the earnestness of his daughter, who has been diligent to seek and believe him in all things. As he smiles, he winks at one of the angels across the throne room and says, “Wow, she sure has been faithful. Stand down, angel.” He glances downward and says “Satan, go put cancer on her. She needs to learn perseverance….and, I almost forgot, she had an evil thought last Tuesday at 11:37 a.m. and dwelt on it for 92 seconds.” Does that sound like a good testimony? Is that what a faithful servant’s reward for love, faith, and trust looks like? I don’t think so!

Many of us have faith of all kinds. We have faith that there is a God, faith that Jesus died for our sins, faith that the Bible is the inspired word of God, and faith that God answers prayers. What happens when we believe God for something and it doesn’t look like it’s working out the way that we want it to? Is it because it’s not God’s will? Is it because we messed up or are not worthy to receive a good testimony in a certain situation? Having faith is as useless as a screen door on a submarine if we don’t have faith in God’s character. In order to walk in the fullness of our relationship with God, we have to know that he is who he said he is.

Disappointment is the perfect opportunity for the enemy to come in and rob us of the truth of God’s character. If you are wondering what kind of disappointments I have had, I can assure you there have been many. I spent the better part of my adolescents and early 20s being so angry and disappointed with God that there were times I didn’t even want to go on living. I experienced things that left scars that ran so deep I thought I would never experience anything more than mere survival.

Why was I blaming God? Because he is omnipotent and he could have changed things. He had the ability to prevent all those horrible things from happening to me. He could have rescued me from the depths of my despair and he didn’t! I took the bait and I ran from him. I tried to hide. I rebelled. I lashed out at him and those who loved me. I was so hard on the inside that I was void of most emotion for nearly a decade.

What changed? I realized who God really was and is. At some point, we all arrive at a place where there is absolutely nothing we can do to change the situation. No amount of positive thinking, intelligence, or hard work will pull us out. It’s at exactly that moment of submission, the acceptance that God is the only one who can change our circumstances and pull us out of what feels like hell, that we really must have faith in God’s character. To trust that he is who he said he is and that he will honor his word and bring us through into redemption, restoration, gladness, wholeness, joy, prosperity (not just financial) and the life that he planned for us.

In order to know God’s true character we need to read the word and have faith that what it says about him is true. If you have experienced disappointment, hurt, hopelessness, despair, sadness, depression, oppression, the loss of a loved one, sickness or any other form of adversity, I promise you that God will bring you through it if you will trust him whole heartedly. Trust that he is your deliverer and ever present help in time of trouble.

God is good. How do I know that? Because his word says he is. Psalm 25:8, Psalm 34:8 and Mark 10:18 are just a few verses that speak of God’s goodness. God is merciful. Deuteronomy 4:31, Psalm 103:8-17, Daniel 9:9 and Hebrews 2:17 speak of God’s mercy. God is gracious. Exodus 34:6, Psalm 103:8 and 1 Peter 5:10 speak of God’s grace. He said he loves us regardless of what we have done and where we have been. He said that he will give us beauty for ashes. Believe it and receive it. Stay in the word, be blessed and don’t let the enemy use your circumstances to rob you of your faith in God’s true character.

Angela Kutzner is director of Children’s Ministries at Abundant Life Church in Wasilla. Send questions or comments to Kutzner at angela.kutzner@gmail.com.

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